/.  2S. 


PRINCETON,  N.  J.  */S 

Purchased   by  the   Hamill   Missionary   Fund. 


Division  ...JD.L-..1  0  ^)  \ 
Sec/ion  ..m..\.j\ LO 


MYTHS  OF  THE 
HINDUS  Sf  BUDDHISTS 


Creer  un  mythe,  fest-h-dire  entrevolr  derrihe 
la  realite  sensible  une  realite  superieure,  est  le 
signe  le  plus  manifeste  de  la  grandeur  de  Vame 
humaine  et  la  preuve  de  sa  facidte  de  croissance 
et  de  developpement  infinis. 

A.  SABATIER,   1879 


MYTHS  OF  THE 
HINDUS  8?  BUDDHISTS 


THE   SISTER   NIVEDITA 

(MARGARET  E.  NOBLE) 
OF  RAMAKRISHNA-VIVEKANANDA 

ANANDA    K.    COOMARASWAMY 


WITH   THIRTY-TWO  ILLUSTRATIONS  IN 

COLOUR  BY  INDIAN  ARTISTS  UNDER  THE 

SUPERVISION  OF 

ABANINDRO  NATH   TAGORE   CLE. 


NEW  YORK 
HENRY  HOLT  fcf  COMPANY 

19  14 


PRINTED  AT 
THE  BALLANTYNE  PRESS 
LONDON,  ENGLAND 


PREFACE 

SISTER  NIVEDITA,  to  whom  the  present  work  was 
first  entrusted,  needs  no  introduction  to  Western  or 
to  Indian  readers.  A  most  sincere  disciple  of  Swami 
Vivekananda,  who  was  himself  a  follower  of  the  great 
Ramakrishna,  she  brought  to  the  study  of  Indian  life  and 
literature  a  sound  knowledge  of  Western  educational  and 
social  science,  and  an  unsurpassed  enthusiasm  of  devotion 
to  the  peoples  and  the  ideals  of  her  adopted  country.  Her 
chief  works  are  The  Web  of  Indian  Life,  almost  the  only  fair 
account  of  Hindu  society  written  in  English,  and  Kali  the 
Mother^  where  also  for  the  first  time  the  profound  tender- 
ness and  terror  of  the  Indian  Mother-cult  are  presented  to 
Western  readers  in  such  a  manner  as  to  reveal  its  true  reli- 
gious and  social  significance.  Through  these  books  Nivedita 
became  not  merely  an  interpreter  of  India  to  Europe,  but 
even  more,  the  inspiration  of  a  new  race  of  Indian  students, 
no  longer  anxious  to  be  Anglicized,  but  convinced  that  all 
real  progress,  as  distinct  from  mere  political  controversy, 
must  be  based  on  national  ideals,  upon  intentions  already 
clearly  expressed  in  religion  and  art. 
Sister  Nivedita's  untimely  death  in  191 1  has  made  it 
necessary  that  the  present  work  should  be  completed  by 
another  hand.  The  following  parts  of  the  text  as  here 
printed  are  due  to  Sister  Nivedita :  Mythology  of  the 
Indo-Aryan  races  (pp.  1-5) ;  pp.  14-22  of  the  Introduction 
to  the  Ramayana ;  the  whole  of  the  Mahabharata  {except 
pp.  186-190)  ;  part  of  the  section  on  Shiva  (pp.  291-295) ; 
the  comment  on  Kacha  and  DevayanI    (pp.    339-342); 

v 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

and  the  Story  of  Dhruva,  Shani,  Star-Pictures,  etc. 
(pp.  378-388).  The  present  writer  is  responsible  for  all 
else — rather  more  than  two-thirds  of  the  whole. 
The  illustrations  are  reproduced  from  water-colour  draw- 
ings executed  specially  for  this  book  by  Indian  artists  under 
the  supervision  of  Mr.  Abanindro  Nath  Tagore,  C.I.E., 
Vice-Principal  of  the  Calcutta  School  of  Art,  who  has 
himself  contributed  some  of  the  pictures. 
The  stories  have  thus  the  advantage,  unique  in  the 
present  series,  of  illustration  by  artists  to  whom  they  have 
been  familiar  from  childhood,  and  who  are  thus  well  able 
to  suggest  their  appropriate  spiritual  and  material  environ- 
ment. 

It  may  be  well  to  explain  briefly  the  principle  on  which 
these  myths  and  legends  have  been  selected  and  arranged. 
My  aim  has  been  to  relate  in  a  manner  as  close  to  the 
original  as  possible,  but  usually  much  condensed,  such  of 
the  myths  as  are  more  or  less  familiar  to  every  educated 
Indian,  with  whom  I  include  all  those  illiterate  but  wise 
peasants  and  women  whose  knowledge  of  the  Pitranas  has 
been  gained  by  listening  to  recitations  or  reading,  by 
visiting  temples  (where  the  stories  are  illustrated  in 
sculpture),  or  from  folk-songs  or  mystery-plays.  The 
stories  related  here,  moreover,  include  very  much  of 
which  a  knowledge  is  absolutely  essential  for  every 
foreigner  who  proposes  in  any  way  to  co-operate  with  the 
Indian  people  for  the  attainment  of  their  desired  ends — 
nowhere  more  clearly  formulated  than  in  mythology  and  art. 
Amongst  these  are,  I  hope,  to  be  included  not  only  such 
avowed  lovers  of  Indian  ideals  as  was  Nivedita  herself, 
vi 


Preface 

but  also  civil  servants  and  missionaries.  The  Indian 
myths  here  retold  include  almost  all  those  which  are 
commonly  illustrated  in  Indian  sculpture  and  painting. 
Finally,  they  include  much  that  must  very  soon  be 
recognized  as  belonging  not  only  to  India,  but  to  the 
whole  world ;  I  feel  that  this  is  above  all  true  of  the 
Ramayana,  which  is  surely  the  best  tale  of  chivalry  and 
truth  and  the  love  of  creatures  that  ever  was  written. 

ANANDA    K.  COOMARASWAMY 


vn 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I  MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE  INDO-ARYAN  RACES  i 

II  THE  RAMAYANA  6 

III  THE  MAHABHARATA  118 

IV  KRISHNA 
V  BUDDHA 

VI     SHIVA  286 

VII     OTHER  STORIES  FROM  THE  PURANAS,  EPICS, 

AND  VEDAS  314 

VIII    CONCLUSION  389 


217 
245 


IX 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


The  Victory  of  Buddha 

Garuda 

Rama's  Marriage 

The  Death  of  MarIcha 

Ravana  fighting  with  Jatayu 

Rama  sending  his  Signet-Ring  to  SIta 

Burning  of  Lanka 

Building  of  Rama's  Bridge 

The  Return  of  Rama 

Ekalavya 

The  Trial  of  the  Princes 

The  House  of  Lac 

Kirat-Arjuna 

Krishna  instructing  Arjuna 

yudhishthira 

The  Birth  of  Krishna 

Kauya  damana 

Radha  and  Krishna 

The  Bodhisattva's  Tusks 

Departure  of  Prince  Siddhartha 

Buddha  as  Mendicant 

The  Final  Release 

The  Asceticism  of  Uma 

The  Dance  of  Shiva 

Shiva  drinking  the  World-Poison 

The  Birth  of  Ganga 


Abanindro  Nath  Tagore 
Nan  da  Lai  Bose 

Frontispiece 

PAGE 

16 

K.  Venhatappa 

30 

K.  Venkatappa 

56 

K.  Venkatappa 

60 

K.  Venkatappa 

64 

K.  Venkatappa 

72 

K.  Venkatappa 

78 

K.  Venkatappa 

102 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

122 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

128 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

140 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

166 

Surendra  Nath  Kar 

188 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

212 

Nanda  Lai  Bose 

220 

Khltindra  Nath  Mazumdar  226 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar  234. 

Abanindro  Nath  Tagore  254 

Aban'indro  Nath  Tagore  264 

Abanindro  Nath  Tagore  276 

Abanindro  Nath  Tagore  284 

Nanda  Lai  Bose  296 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar  310 

Nanda  Lai  Bose  3 1 4 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar  320 

xi 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

PAGE 

Man asa  DevI                                              Khitlndra  Nath  Mazumdar  326 

Yama  and  Nachiketas                               Natida  Lai  Bose  332 

Pururavas                                                     Khitlndra  Nath  Mazumdar  344 

DamayantI                                                   Khitlndra  Nath  Mazumdar  356 

Dhruva                                                         A  sit  Kumar  Haldar  378 

KalI                                                            Surendra  Nath  Kar  390 


Xll 


CHAPTER  I  :  MYTHOLOGY  OF  THE 
INDO-ARYAN  RACES 

The  Study  of  Mythology 

IN  the  early  history  of  man  Asia  formed  a  vast  breeding- 
ground  of  civilization  of  which  countries  like  Egypt, 
Arabia,  Greece,  India,  and  China  were  the  extremities. 
Egypt  and  Arabia  were  destined  later,  from  their 
geographical  positions,  to  be  overrun  and  suffer  destruc- 
tion of  their  culture.  Greece  and  pre-eminently  India 
formed  what  may  be  called  culs-de-sac.  Here,  as  if  up  the 
long  shores  of  some  hidden  creek,  would  be  forced  the 
tidal  wave  of  one  epoch  after  another,  each  leaving  on  the 
coast  a  tide-mark  that  perhaps  none  of  its  successors  would 
be  able  entirely  to  cover.  Hence,  in  India,  we  may  hope 
to  discover  means  of  studying,  as  nowhere  else  in  the 
world,  the  succession  of  epochs  in  culture. 
Civilization  develops  by  new  conjunctions  of  tribes 
and  races,  each  with  its  individual  outlook,  the  result  of 
that  distinctive  body  of  custom  which  has  imposed  itself 
upon  them  through  the  geographical  conditions  of  what- 
ever region  formed  their  cradle-land  and  school.  Western 
Asia  is  one  of  the  central  areas  of  the  world.  Here  by 
the  very  necessities  of  the  configuration  the  great  high- 
ways from  North  to  South  and  East  to  West  meet,  and 
mercantile  cities — points  of  barter  and  exchange — will 
grow  up  at  the  crossways.  Equally  obvious  is  it  that 
India  and  the  remote  parts  of  the  Nile  Valley  will  form 
seats  of  occupation  and  production.  Here  race  upon  race 
will  settle  and  combine.  Here  agricultural  nations  will 
grow  up.  Here  civilization  will  accumulate.  And  here 
we  may  look  to  see  the  gradual  elaboration  of  schemes  of 
thought    which    will    not   only   bear   their   own    history 

a  i 


Myth 


ls  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

stamped  upon  them,  but  will  in  their  turn  become  causes 
and  sources  of  dynamic  influence  upon  the  world  outside. 
It  is  not  impossible  to  recover  the  story  of  the  ideas 
which  the  Nile  people  have  contributed  to  the  world  as  we 
know  it.  But  those  people  themselves,  so  we  are  informed, 
have  irretrievably  relaxed  their  hold  upon  their  own  past. 
Between  them  and  it  there  is  only  broken  continuity,  a  lapse 
of  time  that  represents  no  process  of  cause  and  effect,  but 
rather  a  perpetual  interruption  of  such  a  series ;  for  a 
single  generation  enamoured  of  foreign  ways  is  almost 
enough  in  history  to  risk  the  whole  continuity  of  civiliza- 
tion and  learning.  Ages  of  accumulation  are  entrusted  to 
the  frail  bark  of  each  passing  epoch  by  the  hand  of  the  past, 
desiring  to  make  over  its  treasures  to  the  use  of  the  future. 
It  takes  a  certain  stubbornness,  a  doggedness  of  loyalty, 
even  a  modicum  of  unreasonable  conservatism  maybe,  to 
lose  nothing  in  the  long  march  of  the  ages;  and,  even 
when  confronted  with  great  empires,  with  a  sudden  exten- 
sion of  the  idea  of  culture,  or  with  the  supreme  temptation 
of  a  new  religion,  to  hold  fast  what  we  have,  adding  to  it 
only  as  much  as  we  can  healthfully  and  manfully  carry. 

The  Genius  of  India 

Yet  this  attitude  is  the  criterion  of  a  strong-  national 
genius,  and  in  India,  since  the  beginning  of  her  history,  it 
has  been  steadily  maintained.  Never  averse  to  a  new  idea, 
no  matter  what  its  origin,  India  has  never  failed  to  put 
each  on  its  trial.  Avid  of  new  thought,  but  jealously 
reluctant  to  accept  new  custom  or  to  essay  new  expression, 
she  has  been  slowly  constructive,  unfalteringly  synthetic, 
from  the  earliest  days  to  the  present  time. 
The  fault  of  Indian  conservatism,  indeed,  has  been  its 
tendency  to  perpetuate  differences  without  assimilation. 
2 


The  Motives  of  Religion 

There  has  always  been  room  for  a  stronger  race,  with  its 
own  equipment  of  custom  and  ideals,  to  settle  down  in  the 
interstices  of  the  Brahmanical  civilization,  uninfluenced 
and  uninfluencing.  To  this  day  Calcutta  and  Bombay 
have  their  various  quarters — Chinese,  Burmese,  and  what 
not — not  one  of  which  contributes  to,  or  receives  from,  the 
civic  life  in  the  midst  of  which  it  is  set.  To  this  day 
the  Baniya  of  India  is  the  Phoenix  or  Phoenician,  perhaps 
of  an  older  world.  But  this  unmixingness  has  not  been 
uniform.  The  personality  of  Buddha  was  the  source  of 
an  impulse  of  religion  to  China  and  half  a  dozen  minor 
nations.  The  Gupta  empire  represents  an  epoch  in  which 
foreign  guests  and  foreign  cultures  were  as  highly  welcomed 
and  appreciated  in  India  as  to-day  in  Europe  and  America. 
And  finally  only  the  rise  of  Islam  was  effective  in 
ending  these  lone  asfes  of  intercourse  which  have  left 
their  traces  in  the  faith  and  thought  of  the  Indian  people. 

The  Motives  of  Religion 

Hinduism  is,  in  fact,  an  immense  synthesis,  deriving  its 
elements  from  a  hundred  different  directions,  and  incor- 
porating every  conceivable  motive  of  religion.  The 
motives  of  religion  are  manifold.  Earth-worship,  sun- 
worship,  nature-worship,  sky-worship,  honour  paid  to 
heroes  and  ancestors,  mother-worship,  father-worship, 
prayers  for  the  dead,  the  mystic  association  of  certain 
plants  and  animals :  all  these  and  more  are  included  within 
Hinduism.  And  each  marks  some  single  age  of  the  past, 
with  its  characteristic  conjunction  or  invasion  of  races 
formerly  alien  to  one  another.  They  are  all  welded  to- 
gether now  to  form  a  great  whole.  But  still  by  visits  to 
outlying  shrines,  by  the  study  of  the  literature  of  certain 
definite  periods,  and  by  careful  following  up  of  the  special 

3 


Myths 


ls  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

threads,  it  is  possible  to  determine  what  were  some  of  the 
influences  that  have  entered  into  its  making. 
Now  and  again  in  history  a  great  systematizing  impulse 
has  striven  to  cast  all  or  part  of  recognized  belief  into  the 
form  of  an  organic  whole.  Such  attempts  have  been  made 
with  more  or  less  success  in  the  compilation  of  books  known 
as  the  Puranas,  in  the  epic  poem  called  the  Rdmdyana, 
and  most  perfectly  of  all  in  the  Mahabharata.  Each  of 
these  takes  some  ancient  norm  which  has  been  perhaps 
for  centuries  transmitted  by  memory,  and  sets  it  down  in 
writing,  modifying  it  and  adding  to  it  in  such  ways  as 
bring  it,  in  the  author's  eyes,  up  to  date. 

The  Mahabharata 

The  Mahabharata  is  the  result  of  the  greatest  of  the 
efforts  thus  made  to  conserve  in  a  collected  form  all  the 
ancient  beliefs  and  traditions  of  the  race.  The  name 
Mahabharata  itself  shows  that  the  movement  which  cul- 
minated in  the  compilation  of  this  great  work  had  behind 
it  a  vivid  consciousness  of  the  unity  of  the  Bharata  or 
Indian  people.  For  this  reason  one  finds  in  this  work  a 
great  effort  made  to  present  a  complete  embodiment  of  the 
ideals  to  be  found  in  the  social  organism,  religion,  ancient 
history,  mythology,  and  ethics  of  the  Indian  people. 
Hence  if  we  want  to  follow  Indian  mythology  from  its 
dim  beginnings  to  its  perfect  maturity  through  all  its 
multiform  intermediate  phases  we  cannot  have  a  better 
guide  than  the  Mahabharata.  For  in  India  mythology  is 
not  a  mere  subject  of  antiquarian  research  and  disquisition ; 
here  it  still  permeates  the  whole  life  of  the  people  as  a 
controlling  influence.  And  it  is  the  living  mythology 
which,  passing  through  the  stages  of  representation  of 
successive  cosmic  process  and  assuming  definite  shape 

4 


The  Mahabharata 

thereafter,  has  become  a  powerful  factor  in  the  everyday 
life  of  the  people — it  is  this  living  mythology  that  has 
found  place  in  the  Mahabharata. 

It  should  be  understood  that  it  is  the  mythology  which 
has  left  its  clearest  impress  in  the  Mahabharata  that  has 
attained  a  fully  developed  form,  and  exercised  a  potent 
influence  on  Indian  society.  Other  myths  have  for  a  time 
appeared  in  a  vague  nebular  form  and  then  vanished  like 
smoke,  leaving  little  trace  behind  ;  they  have  not  assumed 
any  concrete  forms  in  the  memory  of  the  race.  Thus  it  is 
that  we  find  a  popular  saying  prevalent  in  Bengal  that 
"Whatever  is  not  in  the  Mahabharata  is  not  to  be  found 
in  the  land  of  Bharata  [India]."  In  the  Mahabharata  we 
find  on  the  one  hand  the  primal  forms  of  mythology,  and 
on  the  other  its  fully  developed  forms  also.  We  find  in 
this  creation  of  the  Indian  mind  a  complete  revelation  of 
that  mind. 

In  the  infancy  of  the  human  mind  men  used  to  mix  up 
their  own  fancies  and  feelings  with  the  ways  of  bird  and 
beast,  the  various  phenomena  of  land  and  water,  and  the 
movements  of  sun  and  moon  and  stars  and  planets,  and 
viewed  the  whole  universe  in  this  humanified  form.  In 
later  times,  when  man  had  attained  the  greatest  importance 
in  the  eyes  of  man,  the  glory  of  stellar  worlds  paled  before 
human  greatness. 

In  this  book  we  have  dealt  with  both  these  stages  of 
mythology,  the  initial  as  well  as  the  final.  On  the  one 
hand,  we  have  given  some  glimpses  of  the  primal  forms 
which  mythology  assumed  after  passing  through  the  hazy 
indefiniteness  of  primitive  ages.  On  the  other,  we  have 
related  more  fully  the  stories  of  the  age  when  mythology 
had  reached  its  maturity. 


CHAPTER  II  :  THE  RAMAYANA 

Sources 

VALMIKI  is  a  name  almost  as  shadowy  as  Homer. 
He  was,  no  doubt,  a  Brahman  by  birth,  and  closely 
connected  with  the  kings  of  Ayodhya.  He  col- 
lected songs  and  legends  of  Rama  (afterwards  called 
Rama-Chandra,  in  distinction  from  Parashu-Rama) ;  and 
very  probably  some  additions  were  made  to  his  work  at 
a  later  time,  particularly  the  Uttara  Kanda.  He  is  said 
to  have  invented  the  shloka  metre,  and  the  language  and 
style  of  Indian  epic  poetry  owe  their  definite  form  to  him. 
According  to  the  Ramayana,  he  was  a  contemporary  of 
Rama,  and  sheltered  Slta  during  her  years  of  lonely  exile, 
and  taught  the  Ramayana  to  her  sons  Kusa  and  Lava. 
The  material  of  the  Ramayana,  in  its  simplest  form, 
the  story  of  the  recovery  of  a  ravished  bride,  is  not  unlike 
that  of  another  great  epic,  the  Iliad  of  Homer.  It  is  not 
likely,  however,  although  the  view  has  been  suggested, 
that  the  f Had  derives  from  the  Ramayana :  it  is  more  prob- 
able that  both  epics  go  back  to  common  legendary  sources 
older  than  iooo  years  B.C. 

The  story  of  Rama  is  told  in  one  of  the  Jatakas,  which 
may  be  regarded  as  a  shorter  version,  one  of  many  then 
current.  Probably  at  some  time  during  the  last  centuries 
preceding  Christ  the  current  versions  of  Rama's  saga 
were  taken  up  by  the  Brahman  poet,  and  formed  into 
one  story  with  a  clear  and  coherent  plot;  while  its  com- 
plete form,  with  the  added  Uttara  Kanda^  may  be  as  late 
as  a.d.  400.  As  a  whole,  the  poem  in  its  last  redac- 
tion seems  to  belong  essentially  to  the  earlier  phase  of  the 
Hindu  renaissance,  and  it  reflects  a  culture  very  similar  to 
that  which  is  visibly  depicted  in  the  Ajanta  frescoes  (first 
6 


Ethic  of  the  Ramayana 

to  seventh  century  a.d.)  ;  but  of  course  the  essential  sub- 
ject-matter is  much  more  ancient.  The  version  given  in 
the  present  volume  amounts  to  about  one-twentieth  of  the 
whole  Ramayana.  It  is  a  condensed  translation,  in  which 
all  the  most  essential  matters  are  included ;  while  no 
episode  or  figure  of  speech  has  been  added  for  which  the 
original  does  not  afford  authority. 

Ethic  of  the  Ramayana 

Not  the  least  significant  feature  of  Valmlki's  epic  lies 
in  its  remarkable  presentation  of  two  ideal  societies :  an 
ideal  good  and  an  ideal  evil.  He  abstracts,  as  it  were, 
from  human  life  an  almost  pure  morality  and  an  almost 
pure  immorality,  tempered  by  only  so  much  of  the  oppo- 
site virtue  as  the  plot  necessitates.  He  thus  throws  into 
the  strongest  relief  the  contrast  of  good  and  evil,  as  these 
values  presented  themselves  to  the  shapers  of  Hindu 
society.  For  it  should  be  understood  that  not  merely  the 
lawgivers,  like  Manu,  but  also  the  poets  of  ancient  India, 
conceived  of  their  own  literary  art,  not  as  an  end  in  itself, 
but  entirely  as  a  means  to  an  end — and  that  end,  the 
nearest  possible  realization  of  an  ideal  society.  The  poets 
were  practical  sociologists,  using  the  great  power  of  their 
art  deliberately  to  mould  the  development  of  human 
institutions  and  to  lay  down  ideals  for  all  classes  of  men. 
The  poet  is,  in  fact,  a  philosopher,  in  the  Nietzschean  sense 
of  one  who  stands  behind  and  directs  the  evolution  of  a 
desired  type.  Results  have  proved  the  wisdom  of  the 
chosen  means;  for  if  Hindu  society  has  ever  as  a  whole 
approached  the  ideal  or  ideals  which  have  been  the  guiding 
force  in  its  development,  it  is  through  hero-worship.  The 
Vedas,  indeed,  belonged  essentially  to  the  learned;  but 
the  epics  have  been  translated  into  every  vernacular  by 

7 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <^f  Buddhists 

poets,  such  as  Tulsi  Das  and  Kamban,  ranking  in  power 
with  Valmiki  himself.  The  material  of  the  epics,  more- 
over, as  also  of  many  of  the  Purd7ias,  has  been  made 
familiar  not  only  to  the  literate,  but  also  to  all  the  un- 
lettered, not  excepting  women,  by  constant  recitation,  and 
also  by  means  of  the  drama,  in  folk-song,  and  in  paint- 
ing. Until  quite  modern  times  no  Hindu  boy  or  girl 
grew  up  unfamiliar  with  the  story  of  the  Ramayana ;  and 
their  highest  aspiration  was  to  be  like  Rama  or  Sita. 

The  Mythical  Origin  of  Caste 

It  is  in  the  Rd?7idyana,  and  in  the  Laws  of  Manu  (c.  500  B.C.) 
that  we  find  the  chief  account  of  the  ideal  Hindu  system 
of  Colour  (caste).  The  mythical  origin  of  Colour, 
according  to  Manu,  is  as  follows  :  Brahmans  are  sprung 
from  the  mouth,  Kshatriyas  from  the  arm,  Vaishyas  from 
the  thigh,  and  Shudras  from  the  foot  of  Brahma.  This 
myth  is  true  in  an  allegorical  sense;  it  is  used  more 
literally  to  give  divine  sanction  to  the  whole  system.  But 
it  must  not  be  supposed  that  Manu  or  Valmiki  describes  a 
state  of  society  actually  existing  at  any  one  time  all  over 
India.  The  history  of  Hindu  society  might  much  rather 
be  written  in  terms  of  the  degree  of  approach  towards  or 
divergence  from  the  systems  of  the  Utopists,  Valmiki  and 
Manu.  How  powerful  their  influence  still  is,  compared 
even  with  the  force  of  custom,  appears  in  the  fact  that  it 
is  at  the  present  day  the  aim  of  many  reformers  by 
no  means  to  abolish  the  caste  system,  but  gradually  to 
unite  the  sub-castes  until  none  but  the  four  main  Colours 
remain  as  effective  social  divisions. 

This  development,  combined  with  some  provision  for  the 
transference  from  one  caste  to  another  of  those  who  are 
able  and  willing  to  adopt  the  traditions  and  accept  the 
8 


Valmlki's  Ideal  Society 

discipline  of  a  higher  Colour,  is  what  the  present  writer 
would  also  desire.  Transference  of  caste,  or  the  acquiring 
of  Colour,  is  continually  going  on  even  now,  by  the  absorp- 
tion of  aboriginal  tribes  into  the  Hindu  system;  but 
stories  like  those  of  Vishvamitra  illustrate  the  immense 
theoretical  difficulty  of  such  promotions.  Against  this 
extreme  exclusiveness  many  protests  have  arisen  in  India, 
the  most  notable  being  that  of  Buddha,  who,  so  far  from  ac- 
cepting the  divine  right  of  a  Brahman  by  birth,  taught  that — 
Not  by  birth  does  one  become  a  Brahman : 
By  his  actions  alone  one  becomes  a  Brahman. 
The  strength  of  the  hereditary  principle  has  always  pre- 
vailed against  such  reactions,  and  the  most  that  reformers 
have  actually  accomplished  is  to  create  new  caste  groups. 

Valmlki's  Ideal  Society 

Let  us  now  examine  very  briefly  the  nature  of  Valmlki's  ideal 
society.  From  the  first  we  are  impressed  with  its  complexity 
and  with  the  high  degree  of  differentiation  of  the  inter- 
dependent parts  of  which  it  is  constituted.  It  is  founded 
on  the  conception  of  gradation  of  rank,  but  that  rank  is 
dependent,  not  upon  wealth,  but  upon  mental  qualities 
only.  The  doctrine  of  reincarnation  is  taken  for  granted ; 
and  the  conception  of  karma  (that  the  fruit  of  actions 
bears  inevitable  fruit  in  another  life)  being  combined  with 
this,  the  theory  logically  followed  that  rank  must  be 
determined  solely  by  heredity.  He  who  deserved  to  be 
born  as  a  Brahman  was  born  as  a  Brahman,  and  he  who 
deserved  to  be  born  as  a  Shudra  was  born  as  a  Shudra. 
This  is  the  theory  which  finds  practical  expression  in  the 
caste  system,  or,  as  it  is  known  to  Indians,  the  system  of 
"  Colour"  {yarna),  in  modern  vernacular,  "birth  "  (jdti). 
Fundamentally,  there  are  four  Colours  :    Brahmans,  the 

9 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

priests  and  philosophers  ;  Kshatriyas,  the  ruling  and 
knightly  class ;  Vaishyas,  traders  and  agriculturists ; 
and  Shudras — servants  of  the  other  three,  who  alone 
are  "twice-born,"  that  is,  receive  priestly  initiation  in 
early  manhood.  Besides  these,  there  are  recognized  a 
vast  number  of  subdivisions  of  the  four  main  classes, 
arising  theoretically  by  intermarriage,  and  distinguishable 
in  practice  as  occupation-castes. 

For  each  Colour  Hindu  theory  recognizes  an  appropriate 
duty  and  morality  {dharmci)  :  to  follow  any  but  the  "  own- 
dharnta "  of  a  man's  caste  constituted  a  most  disastrous 
sin,  meriting  condign  punishment.  In  this  conception 
of  oivn-dharma  there  appears  at  once  the  profound  dis- 
tinction of  Hindu  from  all  absolutist  moralities,  such  as 
the  Mosaic  or  Buddhist.  To  take  one  concrete  example, 
the  Mosaic  Decalogue  lays  down  the  commandment, 
"Thou  shalt  not  kill,"  and  this  commandment  is 
nominally  binding  equally  upon  the  philosopher,  the 
soldier,  and  the  merchant — a  somewhat  illogical  position. 
But  Hinduism,  permeated  though  it  be  by  the  doctrine 
of  a/itmsa,  harmlessness,  does  not  attempt  to  enforce 
it  upon  the  Kshatriyas  or  Shudras :  it  is  the  hermit  and 
philosopher  above  all  who  must  not  kill  or  hurt  any 
living  thing,  while  the  knight  who  shrank,  in  time  of 
need,  from  slaying  men  or  animals  would  not  be  praise- 
worthy as  a  humanitarian,  but  blameworthy  as  one  who 
neglected  to  follow  his  own-morality.  This  very  question 
is  raised  in  the  Ramayana,  when  Slta  suggests  to  Rama 
that,  as  they  are  now  dwelling  in  the  forests,  the  resort  of 
hermits,  they  should  adopt  the  yogi-movzMty,  and  refrain 
from  slaying,  not  merely  beasts,  but  even  the  rakshasas ; x 

1  Rakshasas,  daityas,  yakshas,   and   asuras  are   demons  and    devils 

constantly  at  war  with  men  and  gods. 

IO 


Valmiki's  Ideal  Society 

but  Rama  replies  that  he  is  bound  both  by  knightly  duty 
and  by  promise  to  protect  the  hermits,  and  that  he  must 
obey  the  ordinance  of  chivalry. 

In  its  extreme  form  this  doctrine  of  own-morality  is  re- 
presented as  having  been  fully  realized  in  practice  only  in 
the  golden  age,  when  none  but  Brahmans  practised  asce- 
ticism, or  attained  to  Perfect  Enlightenment;  in  the  second 
age  the  Brahmans  and  Kshatriyas  were  equally  powerful, 
and  it  is  said  that  in  this  age  Manu  composed  the 
shastras  (law-books)  setting  forth  the  duties  of  the  four 
varnas ;  in  the  third  age  the  Vaishyas  also  practised 
austerities ;  and  in  the  fourth  even  the  Shudras  engaged 
in  austere  penances.  Thus  the  four  ages  represent  a  pro- 
gressive deterioration  from  an  ideal  theocracy  to  a  com- 
plete democracy.  In  the  time  of  Rama  the  beginning  of 
the  fourth  age  is  already  foreshadowed  by  the  one  Shudra 
who  became  a.  yogi,  and  was  slain  by  Rama,  not  so  much 
as  a  punishment  as  to  avoid  the  consequential  disturbance 
of  society,  already  manifested  in  the  untimely  death  of  a 
Brahman  boy. 

In  an  aristocratic  society  such  as  Valmlki  contemplates 
the  severity  of  social  discipline  increases  toward  the 
summit :  those  who  have  the  greatest  power  must  practise 
the  greatest  self-restraint,  partly  because  noblesse  oblige 
partly  because  such  austere  discipline  is  the  necessary 
condition  without  which  power  would  rapidly  melt  away. 
It  is  needful  to  remember  this  essential  character  of  a  true 
aristocratic  society,  if  we  are  to  understand  some  of  the 
most  significant,  and  to  the  democrat  and  individualist 
the  most  incomprehensible  and  indefensible,  episodes  of 
the  Ramayana.  Upon  the  Kshatriya,  and  above  all  upon 
the  king,  devolves  the  duty  of  maintaining  dharmci ; 
therefore  he  must  not  only  protect  men  and  gods  against 

1 1 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  gP  Buddhists 

violence,  as  by  slaying  the  rakshasas,  but  must  himself  for 
the  sake  of  example  conform  to  the  rules  of  accepted 
morality,  even  when  these  rules  have  for  him  no  personal 
significance  whatever.  It  is  thus  that  Rama  repudiates  Slta 
twice,  though  all  the  time  perfectly  satisfied  in  his  own  mind 
of  her  complete  faithfulness.  This  repudiation  of  Slta 
forms  the  most  dramatic  and  remarkable  feature  of  the  whole 
story.  Rama  and  Slta  are  brought  together  after  a  year's 
separation,  and  at  the  close  of  a  long  and  arduous  conflict : 
this  moment,  where  modern  sentiment  would  demand  a 
"  happy  ending,"  is  made  the  supreme  test  of  character 
for  both,  and  the  final  tragedy  is  only  postponed  by  the 
appearance  of  the  gods  and  justification  of  Slta  by  ordeal. 
In  these  tragic  episodes,  forming  the  culminating  moral 
crisis  in  the  lives  of  both  Rama  and  Slta,  Valmlki  is  com- 
pletely and  equally  justified  as  a  teacher  and  as  an  artist. 
Valmlki's  ideal  society  is  almost  free  from  sin,  whereby  he 
is  the  better  enabled  to  exhibit  the  far-reaching  effects  of 
the  ill-doing  of  single  individuals  and  of  only  faults.  Even 
Kaikeyl  is  not  made  ignoble :  she  is  only  very  young  and 
blind  and  wilful ;  but  the  whole  tragedy  of  Rama's  life  and 
the  fulfilment  of  the  purposes  of  the  high  gods  follows  on 
her  wrongdoing. 

Over  against  this  human  world  of  the  silver  age  is  drawn  the 
sinful  and  inhuman  world  of  the  rakshasas,  where  greed  ancj 
lust  and  violence  and  deceit  replace  generosity  and  self- 
restraint  and  gentleness  and  truth.  But  these  evil  passions 
are  outwardly  directed  against  men  and  gods  and  all  those 
who  are,  for  the  rakshasas,  aliens:  amongst  themselves  there 
are  filial  affection  and  the  uttermost  of  wifely  devotion,  there 
are  indomitable  courage  and  the  truest  loyalty.  The  city  of 
the  rakshasas  is  pre-eminently  fair,  built  by  Vishvakarman 
himself ;  they  practise  all  the  arts ;  they  worship  the  gods, 
12 


The  Story 

and  by  austerity  and  penance  win  great  gifts  of  them  :  in 
a  word,  they  flourish  like  the  bay-tree,  and  if  they  are 
evil,  at  least  they  are  not  ignoble.  Amongst  them  are 
found  some,  like  Vibhishana,  not  evil  at  all.  After  all, 
then,  these  rakshasas  are  not  inhuman  at  all,  but  their 
estate  is  an  image  of  the  a-dharmic,  unrighteous,  aspect  of 
human  society — an  allegory  which  we  should  all  under- 
stand were  it  presented  to  us  to-day  for  the  first  time, 
like  the  Penguins  of  Anatole  France. 

The  Story 

The  siege  of  Lanka  is  told  in  the  original  at  great  length 
and  with  grotesque  humour.  But  its  violence  is  redeemed 
by  many  incidents  of  chivalric  tenderness  and  loyalty. 
Ravana,  once  slain,  is  thought  of  by  Rama  as  a  friend ; 
Mandodarl  grieves  for  him  as  Sita  herself  might  grieve 
for  Rama.  The  story  is  full  of  marvels,  but  the  magic 
element  has  often  a  profound  significance  and  is  no  merely 
fanciful  embroidery.  All  the  great  powers  possessed  by 
the  protagonists  of  one  side  or  the  other  are  represented 
as  won  by  self-restraint  and  mental  concentration,  not  as 
the  fruit  of  any  talisman  fortuitously  acquired.  Thus  the 
conflict  becomes,  in  the  last  resort,  essentially  a  conflict  of 
character  with  character.  Take  again  the  case  of  the 
magic  weapons,  informed  with  the  power  of  irresistible 
spells.  Hanuman  is  struck  down  and  paralysed  with  one 
of  these,  but  no  sooner  are  physical  bonds  added  to  the 
mental  force  than  he  is  free.  Here,  surely,  is  clear 
evidence  of  an  apprehension  of  the  principle  that  to  fortify 
with  violence  the  power  of  wisdom  is  inevitably  an  unsuc- 
cessful policy. 

In  such  ways  the  significance  of  Valmlki's  Ramayana 
becomes  apparent  to  those  who  read  or  re-read  it  attentively, 

13 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

and  its  lasting  influence  on  Indian  life  and  character  ideals 
becomes  easily  understandable.  It  is  hardly  possible  to 
turn  aside  from  this  aspect  of  the  myth  of  Rama  and  Slta 
without  expressing  profound  regret  that  this  great  means 
of  education  should  have  been  eliminated  from  modern 
educational  systems  in  India — in  the  name  of  religious 
neutrality.  For  it  would  scarcely  be  going  too  far  to  say 
that  no  one  unfamiliar  with  the  story  of  Rama  and  Slta 
can  be  in  any  real  sense  a  citizen  of  India,  nor  acquainted 
with  morality  as  the  greatest  of  Indian  teachers  conceived 
it.  Perhaps  one  might  go  further  and  say  that  no  one 
unfamiliar  with  the  story  of  Rama  and  Slta  can  be  a  true 
citizen  of  the  world. 

The  Ramayana  as  Animal  Epos 
Here  and  there  throughout  the  world  we  come  upon 
whispers  and  echoes  of  the  great  animal  epos  of 
primitive  man.  As  a  whole  it  no  longer  exists;  it  is  no 
longer  even  recoverable.  It  can  only  be  guessed  at 
and  inferred  from  a  hint  here,  a  fragment  there.  But 
nowhere  in  the  modern  world  is  the  material  for  its 
restoration  so  abundant  as  in  India.  To  this  day  in  the 
Indian  imagination  there  is  a  unique  sympathy  with 
animal  expression.  Man  or  boy,  gentle  and  simple  alike, 
telling  some  story  of  mouse  or  squirrel,  will  bring  the  tale 
to  a  climax  with  the  very  cries  and  movements  of  the 
creature  he  has  watched.  It  is  assumed  instinctively  that 
at  least  the  fundamental  feelings,  if  not  the  thoughts,  of 
furred  and  feathered  folk  are  even  as  our  own.  And  it  is 
here,  surely,  in  this  swift  interpretation,  in  this  deep 
intuition  of  kinship,  that  we  find  the  real  traces  of  the 
temper  that  went  to  the  making  long  ago  of  Buddhism 
and  Jainism,  the  gentle  faiths. 

14 


The  Ramayana  as  Animal  Epos 

The  Indian  people  are  human,  and  cruelty  occurs  amongst 
them  occasionally.  The  fact  that  it  is  comparatively  rare 
is  proved  by  the  familiarity  and  fearlessness  of  all  the 
smaller  birds  and  beasts.  But  in  this  unconscious  atti- 
tude of  the  Indian  imagination,  in  its  mimicry  and  quick 
perception  of  the  half  fun,  half  pathos  of  the  dumb 
creation,  we  have  an  actual  inheritance  from  the  child- 
hood of  the  world,  from  that  early  playtime  of  man 
in  which  the  four-footed  things  were  his  brethren  and 
companions. 

This  whimsical  spirit,  this  merry  sense  of  kindred,  speaks 
to  us  throughout  the  Buddhist  Birth-Stories  ijfatakas),  as 
a  similar  feeling  does  in  ^sop's  Fables  or  in  the  tales  of 
Uncle  Remus.  The  Jatakas,  it  is  true,  deal  with  animal 
life  as  the  vehicle  of  a  high  philosophy  and  a  noble 
romance,  instead  of  merely  making  it  illustrate  shrewd 
proverbs  or  point  homely  wit.  The  love  of  Buddha  and 
Yashodara  formed  the  poetic  legend  of  its  age,  and  there 
was  nothing  incongruous  to  the  mind  of  the  period  in 
making  birds  and  beasts  frequent  actors  in  its  drama. 
Swans  are  the  preachers  of  gospels  in  the  courts  of  kings. 
The  herds  of  deer,  like  men,  have  amongst  them  chiefs 
and  aristocrats,  who  will  lay  down  their  lives  for  those 
that  follow  them.  Yet  already,  even  here,  we  see  the 
clear  Aryan  mind  at  work,  reducing  to  order  and  distinct- 
ness the  tangled  threads  of  a  far  older  body  of  thought. 
Out  of  that  older  substance  are  born  the  tendencies  that 
will  again  and  again  come  to  the  surface  in  the  great  theo- 
logical systems  of  later  times.  Of  it  were  shaped  the 
heroes,  such  as  Hanuman  and  Garuda,  who  step  down  into 
the  more  modern  arena  at  every  new  formulation  of  the 
Hindu  idea,  like  figures  already  familiar,  to  join  in  its 
action. 

15 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

What  we  miss  through  all  the  poetry  of  this  gradual 
Aryanizing  is  the  element  of  awe — for  this,  though  pre- 
sent, is  perpetually  growing  less.  The  Aryan  mind  is 
essentially  an  organizing  mind,  always  increasingly 
scientific,  increasingly  rational  in  its  outlook  upon  things. 
The  colour  and  caprice  that  make  early  mythologies  so 
rich  in  stimulus  for  the  imagination  are  almost  always 
the  contribution  of  older  and  more  childlike  races.  To 
humanity,  in  its  first  morning-hours,  there  seemed  to  be 
in  the  animal  something  of  the  divine.  Its  inarticulate- 
ness, not  then  so  far  removed  from  man's  own  speech, 
constituted  an  oracle.  Its  hidden  ways  of  life  and  sudden 
flashings  forth  upon  the  path  were  supernatural.  The  dim 
intelligence  that  looked  out  from  between  its  eyes  seemed 
like  a  large  benevolence,  not  to  be  compassed  or  fathomed 
by  mortal  thought.  And  who  could  tell  what  was  the 
store  of  wisdom  garnered  behind  the  little  old  face  of  the 
grey  ape  out  of  the  forest,  or  hoarded  by  the  coiled  snake 
in  her  hole  beside  the  tree  ? 

The  Attraction  of  the  Animal 

With  all  a  child's  power  of  wonder,  the  thought  of  man 
played  about  the  elephant  and  the  eagle,  the  monkey  and 
the  lion.  Many  tribes  and  races  had  each  its  own  mystic 
animal,  half  worshipped  as  a  god,  half  suspected  of  being 
an  ancestor.  With  the  rise  of  the  great  theological  sys- 
tems all  this  will  be  regimented  and  organized.  From 
being  gods  themselves  the  mythical  half-human  creatures 
will  descend,  to  become  the  vehicles  and  companions  of 
gods.  One  of  these  will  be  mounted  on  the  peacock, 
another  on  the  swan.  One  will  be  carried  by  the  bull, 
another  by  the  goat.  But  in  this  very  fact  there  will 
be  an  implicit  declaration  of  the  divine  associations  of  the 
16 


The  Attraction  of  the  Animal 

subordinate.  The  emblem  thus  constituted  will  mark  a 
compromise,  a  synthesis  of  two  systems,  two  ideas — one 
relatively  new,  and  one  incomparably  older  and  more 
primitive.  For  the  same  process  that  makes  the  Tenth 
Book  of  the  Rig-Veda  so  markedly  different  from  its  pre- 
decessors, inasmuch  as  in  it  the  religious  consciousness 
of  the  Sanskrit-speaking  people  has  begun  to  take  note  of 
the  indigenous  conceptions  of  the  peoples  of  the  soil,  is 
characteristic  of  the  advancing  consciousness  of  Hinduism 
throughout  the  historic  period.  The  Aryan  brain,  with 
its  store  of  great  nature-gods — gods  of  sky  and  sun  and 
fire,  of  wind  and  waters  and  storm,  gods  who  had  so  much 
in  common  with  each  other,  throughout  Aryan  mythology, 
from  the  Hellespont  to  the  Ganges — had  gradually  to 
recognize  and  include  the  older,  vaguer,  more  dimly 
cosmic  deities  of  various  Asiatic  populations.  The  pro- 
cess of  this  is  perfectly  clear  and  traceable  historically. 
Only  the  rival  elements  themselves  have  to  be  assumed 
and  enumerated.  Of  the  growth  of  the  mythology  of 
Indra  and  Agni,  of  Vayu  and  Varuna  we  can  say  very  little. 
In  all  probability  it  was  born  outside  India,  and  brought 
there,  as  to  Greece,  in  a  state  of  maturity.  And  similarly, 
we  cannot  trace  the  steps  by  which  the  Indian  imagination 
came  to  conceive  of  the  universe,  or  the  god  of  the 
universe,  as  the  Elephant-headed.  Obviously,  the  idea 
was  born  in  India  itself,  where  the  elephants  ranged  the 
forests  and  breasted  the  rivers.  The  appearance  of  the 
same  worship  in  such  countries  as  China  and  Japan  is 
clearly  a  relic  of  some  very  ancient  religious  influence 
brought  to  bear  upon  them  from  the  far  south. 


B  17 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

The  Elephant-headed 

What  exactly  is  signified  by  this  Ganesha,  or  Ganapati 
— Lord  of  the  Multitudes,  or  was  it  primarily  Lord  of  the 
Territory?  What  is  the  meaning  of  that  white  elephant- 
head  borne  on  that  red  body?  Vast  and  cosmic  he 
certainly  is.  Is  he  at  bottom  the  white  cloud  glistening 
in  the  evening  against  the  crimson  sun  ?  In  any  case  he 
stands  to  this  day  as  the  god  of  success  and  of  worldly 
wisdom.  His  divine  attribute  is  the  simple  one  of 
fulfilling  all  desires.  He  is  to  be  worshipped  at  the 
beginning  of  all  worships,  that  they  may  be  successful  in 
their  intention — a  sure  proof  of  long  priority.  In  Japan 
it  is  said  that  he  is  known  as  the  god  of  the  villages,  and 
that  he  has  something  a  trifle  rude  in  his  worship.  In 
itself  this  shows  his  great  antiquity,  though  as  lord  of  the 
villages  in  India  he  could  not  be  so  old  as  those  of 
Southern  India,  which  are  always  dedicated  to  the  Earth- 
Mother,  with  an  altar  of  rude  stone. 

How  well  we  can  enter  into  the  tenderness  and  awe  of  the 
primitive  Indian  man  for  this  his  great  god !  The 
depths  of  the  night  would  seem  to  be  his  vast  form.  All 
wisdom  and  all  riches  were  in  his  gigantic  keeping,  He 
gave  writing.  He  gave  wealth.  He  was  the  starry 
universe  itself.  Success  was  his  to  bestow.  All  that 
was,  was  contained  within  him.  How  natural  that  he 
should  be  the  Fulfiller  of  Desire  !  Ganesha  is  not  the 
deity  of  a  people  who  fear  their  god.  He  is  gentle,  calm, 
and  friendly,  a  god  who  loves  man  and  is  loved  by  him. 
A  genuine  kindliness  and  a  certain  wise  craft  are  written 
on  his  visage.  But  neither  is  he  the  god  of  any  theo- 
logical conception.  He  is  obvious,  simple,  capable  of  a 
slight  grossness,  full  of  rude  vigour  and  primal  mascu- 
18 


The  Epic  of  Hinduism 

Unity,  destined  from  his  birth  to  a  marvellous  future,  both 
in  faith  and  art,  as  the  forefront  of  all  undertakings  that 
are  to  make  for  success.  Less  ancient  than  the  primitive 
Mother  of  the  Dekkan  villages,  he  was  nevertheless,  it 
may  be,  the  beginning  of  organized  worship.  He  was 
already  old  when  Buddhism  was  young.  Above  all,  he  is 
the  god  neither  of  priests  nor  of  kings,  neither  of  theocracies 
nor  of  nations,  but  in  all  probability  of  that  old  diffusive 
mercantile  culture,  the  civilization  of  the  Bharatas.  To 
this  day  he  is  the  god  pre-eminently  of  merchants,  and  it 
is  a  curious  fact  that  in  the  Indian  citv,  when  a  merchant 
is  made  bankrupt,  the  event  is  notified  to  all  comers  by 
the  office  Ganeshas  being  turned  upside  down ! 

The  Epic  of  Hinduism 

First  of  the  popular  scriptures  of  Hinduism — written  early 
in  the  Christian  era,  for  the  now  consolidating  nation — 
was  the  epic  poem  of  Valmlki  known  as  the  Ramayana. 
This  is  the  world  gospel  of  purity  and  sorrow,  but  also, 
no  less  notably,  the  fairy-tale  of  nature.  Since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  reign  of  Ganesha  the  age  of  the  making  of 
Buddhism  and  the  Jataka  had  come  and  gone,  and  with 
the  passing  centuries  the  sway  of  the  Aryan  genius  had 
been  more  and  more  clearly  felt.  As  in  every  work  of 
art  we  obtain  a  glimpse  of  the  culture  that  precedes  it,  so 
in  the  Ramayana,  while  there  is  a  great  deal  that  is 
prophetic  of  developments  to  come,  we  also  find  ourselves 
transported  into  the  child-world  of  an  earlier  age.  Like 
all  such  worlds,  it  was  one  in  which  birds  and  beasts 
could  talk  and  comport  themselves  as  men.  To  the  folk 
of  that  time,  it  is  clear,  the  forest  was  a  realm  of  mystery. 
It  was  inhabited  by  scholars  and  anchorites.  It  was  full 
of  beautiful  flowers  and   fragrance ;  it  was  the  haunt  of 

19 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

sweet-singing  birds;  and  it  was  cool  and  green.  All 
holiness  might  be  attained  under  its  soothing  influence. 
Any  austerity  might  be  practised  in  its  ennobling 
solitudes.  But  it  was  also  the  home  of  deadly  beasts  of 
prey.  And  many  of  these  were  surrounded  by  an  added 
and  supernatural  terror ;  for  was  it  not  known  that  the 
demon  Maricha  had  the  power  to  change  his  shape  at 
will  ?  Who,  then,  could  tell  whether  even  tiger  or  bear 
were  what  it  seemed,  or  something  more  subtle  and  fear- 
some still  ?  Amongst  the  evening  shadows  walked  strange 
forms  and  malefic  presences.  Misshapen  monsters  and 
powerful  fiends,  owning  allegiance  to  a  terrible  ten-headed 
kinsman  in  distant  Lanka,  ranged  through  its  fastnesses. 
How  often  must  the  belated  hunter  have  listened  in  horror 
to  whispering  sound  from  the  darkness  of  trees  and  brush- 
wood, feeling  that  he  was  acting  as  eavesdropper  to  the 
enemies  of  the  soul ! 

But  the  gods  were  ever  greater  than  the  powers  of  evil. 
It  was,  after  all,  the  twilight  of  divinity  that  hung  so  thick 
about  the  forest-sanctuary.  Were  there  not  there  the 
gandharvas  and  siddhas — musical  ministrants  of  the  upper 
air?  Were  there  not  apsards,  the  heavenly  nymphs,  for 
whose  sake,  at  the  moment  of  nightfall,  we  must  not 
venture  too  near  the  edge  of  the  forest  pools,  lest  we  catch 
them  at  their  bathing  and  incur  some  doom  ?  Were  there 
not  kinnaras,  the  human  birds,  holding  instruments  of 
music  under  their  wings?  Was  it  not  known  that  amidst 
their  silence  slept  Jatayu,  king  for  sixty  thousand  years 
of  all  the  eagle-tribes,  and  that  somewhere  amongst  them 
dwelt  Sampati,  his  elder  brother,  unable  to  fly  because  his 
wings  had  been  scorched  off  in  the  effort  to  cloak  Jatayu 
from  sunstroke?  And  all  about  the  greenwood  came  and 
went  the  monkey  hosts,  weird  with  a  more  than  human 


20 


Hanuman 

wisdom,  able  at  a  word  to  make  the  leafy  branches  blossom 
into  beauty,  and  yet  unhappy  strugglers  with  their  own  hot 
monkey-nature,  ever  imposing  on  them,  like  a  spell,  a 
strange  unspeakable  destiny  of  mischief  and  futility. 
It  is  an  organized  society,  this,  that  is  predicated  by  the 
Indian  imagination  of  the  animal  races.  They  have  their 
families  and  genealogies,  their  sovereigns  and  political 
alliances,  and  their  personal  lot  of  tragedy  or  comedy. 
Throughout  the  dramatic  phases  of  the  Ramayana  the 
counterplot  is  provided  by  the  five  great  monkeys  whom 
Sita  sees  below  her,  seated  on  a  hill-top,  when  she  is  being 
borne  through  the  evening  sky  by  Ravana.  Of  these  the 
chief  is  Sugriva,  of  the  monster  neck,  who  has  lost  wife 
and  kingdom  at  the  hands  of  his  elder  brother  Bali,  and 
waits  to  be  avenged  on  him.  Sugriva  is  thus  a  king  in 
exile,  surrounded  by  his  counsellors  and  captains,  in  a 
sense  the  enchanted  prince  of  fairy-tales.  There  are 
scholars  who  find  in  this  tableau  of  the  five  chief  monkeys 
on  the  mountain-top  a  fragment  of  some  ancient  cosmog- 
ony, already,  it  may  be,  a  score  of  millenniums  old. 

Hanuman 

But  there  moves  through  the  Ramayana  one  being  who, 
though  also  a  monkey,  is  of  a  different  order.  In  those 
parts  of  India  where,  as  in  the  Himalayas  or  the  interior 
of  Maharashtra,  the  symbols  of  primitive  Hinduism  still 
abound,  little  chapels  of  Hanuman  are  as  common  as  those 
of  Ganesha,  and  the  ape,  like  the  elephant,  has  achieved 
a  singular  and  obviously  age-old  conventionalism  of  form. 
He  is  always  seen  in  profile,  vigorously  portrayed  in  low 
relief  upon  a  slab.  The  image  conveys  the  impression  of 
a  complex  emblem  rather  than  of  plastic  realism.  But 
there  is  no  question  as  to  the  energy  and  beauty  of  the 

21 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

qualities  for  which  he  stands.  It  may  be  questioned 
whether  there  is  in  the  whole  of  literature  another 
apotheosis  of  loyalty  and  self-surrender  like  that  of 
Hanuman.  He  is  the  Hindu  ideal!  of  the  perfect  servant, 
the  servant  who  finds  full  realization  of  manhood,  of 
faithfulness,  of  his  obedience;  the  subordinate  whose 
glory  is  in  his  own  inferiority. 

Hanuman    must   have   been   already   ancient    when    the 
Ramayana  was  first  conceived.     What  may  have  been  the 
first  impulse  that  created  him  it  is  now  useless  to  guess. 
But  he  is  linked  to  a  grander  order  than  that  of  Sugriva 
and  Bali,  the  princes  whom  he  serves,  inasmuch  as  he,  like 
Jatayu,  is  said  to  be  the  son  of  Vayu,  known  in  the  Vedas 
as  the  god  of   the  winds.      In   any  case  the  depth  and 
seriousness  of  the  part  assigned  to  him  in  the  great  poem 
assure  him  of  unfading  immortality.    Whatever  may  have 
been  his  age  or  origin,  Hanuman  is  captured  and  placed 
by  the  Ramayana  amongst  religious  conceptions  of  the 
highest  import.     When  he  bows   to   touch   the   foot   of 
Rama,  that  Prince  who  is  also  a  divine  incarnation,  we 
witness  the  meeting-point  of  early  nature-worships  with 
the  great  systems  that  are  to  sway  the  future  of  religion. 
But  we  must  not  forget  that  in  this  one  figure  those  early 
systems  have  achieved  the  spiritual  quality  and  made  a 
lasting  contribution  to  the  idealism  of  man.     In  ages  to 
come  the  religion  of  Vishnu,    the  Preserver,  will  never 
be  able  to  dispense  with    that  greatest  of  devotees,  the 
monkey-god ;  and  even  in  its  later  phases,  when  Garuda 
— the  divine  bird,  who  haunted  the  imagination  of   all 
early  peoples — has  taken  his  final  place  as  the  vehicle,  or 
attendant,  of  Narayana,  Hanuman  is  never  really  displaced. 
The  wonderful  creation  of  Valmlki  will  retain  to  the  end  of 
time  his  domination  over  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  men. 

22 


The  Story  of  Rama 

The  Story  of  Rama  as  told  by  Valmlki 

One  day  the  hermit  Valmiki  inquired  of  the  great  rishix 

Narada  whether  he  could  tell  of  any  man  living  perfect 

in  goodliness,  virtue,   courage,   and  benevolence.     Then 

Narada  related  to  him  all  the  story  that  is  now  called  the 

Ramayana,  for  such  a  man  as  Valmlki  desired  to  hear  of 

was  the  great  Rama. 

Valmlki  returned  to  his  forest  hut.    As  he  passed  through 

the  woods  he  saw  a  bird-man  and  a  bird-woman  singing 

and  dancing.      But  at  that  very  moment  a  wicked  hunter 

shot  the  bird-man  with   an  arrow  so  that  he  died,  and 

his    mate  bewailed    him    long    and    bitterly.     Then  the 

hermit  was   moved   by  pity  and    anger,  and  cursed  the 

hunter  and  passed  on.      But  as  he  walked  on,  his  words 

recurred    to    him,    and    he    found    that  they   formed    a 

couplet  in  a  new  metre:  "Let  this  be  called  a  shloka" 

he  said. 

Soon  after  he  reached  his  hut  there  appeared  to  him  the 

four-faced  shining  Brahma,  the  Creator  of  the  World.    Him 

Valmlki  worshipped ;  but  the  unhappy  bird-man  and  the 

new-made   shloka   filled    his    thoughts.      Then    Brahma 

addressed  him   with  a  smile  :  "  It  was  by  my  will  that 

those  words  came  from  thy  mouth ;  that  metre  shall  be 

very  famous  hereafter.      Do  thou  compose  in  it  the  whole 

history  of  Rama;    relate,  O  wise  one,  both  all  that   is 

known  and  all  that  is  as  yet  unknown  to  thee  of  Rama 

and  Lakshmana  and  Janaka's  daughter,  and  all  the  tribe 

of  rakshasas.    What  is  unknown  shall  be  revealed  to  thee, 

and  the  poem  shall  be  true  from  the  first  word  to  the  last. 

Moreover,  this  thy  Ramayana  shall  spread  abroad  amongst 

1  A  sage  or  priest  of  special  authority,  particularly  one  of  the  "  seven 
rishis  "  who  are  priests  of  the  gods  and  are  identified  with  the  stars  of 
the  Great  Bear. 

23 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  df  Buddhists 

men  so  long  as  the  mountains  and  the  seas  endure."     So 
saying,  Brahma  vanished. 

Then  Valmiki,  dwelling  in  the  hermitage  amongst  his  dis- 
ciples, set  himself  to  make  the  great  Ramayan,  that  bestows 
on  all  who  hear  it  righteousness  and  wealth  and  fulfilment 
of  desire,  as  well  as  the  severing  of  ties.  He  sought 
deeper  insight  into  the  story  he  had  heard  from  Narada, 
and  thereto  took  his  seat  according  to  yoga x  ritual,  and 
addressed  himself  to  ponder  on  that  subject  and  no  other. 
Then  by  his  yoga-powers  he  beheld  Rama  and  Slta, 
Lakshman,  and  Dasharatha  with  his  wives  in  his  king- 
dom, laughing  and  talking,  bearing  and  forbearing,  doing 
and  undoing  as  in  real  life,  as  clearly  as  one  might  see  a 
fruit  held  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.  He  perceived  not 
only  what  had  been,  but  what  was  to  come.  Then  only, 
after  concentred  meditation,  when  the  whole  story  lay 
like  a  picture  in  his  mind,  he  began  to  shape  it  into 
shlokas,  of  which,  when  it  was  finished,  there  were  no  less 
than  twenty-four  thousand.  Then  he  reflected  how  it 
might  be  published  abroad.  For  this  he  chose  Kusi  and 
Lava,  the  accomplished  sons  of  Rama  and  Slta,  who 
lived  in  the  forest  hermitage,  and  were  learned  in  the 
Vedas,  in  music  and  recitation  and  every  art,  and  very 
fair  to  see.  To  them  Valmiki  taught  the  whole  Ramayana 
till  they  could  recite  it  perfectly  from  beginning  to  end 
so  that  those  who  heard  them  seemed  to  see  everything 
told  of  in  the  story  passing  before  their  eyes.  Afterward 
the  brothers  went  to  Rama's  city  of  Ayodhya,  where 
Rama  found  and  entertained  them,  thinking  them  to  be 
hermits ;  and  there  before  the  whole  court  the  Ramayana 
was  first  recited  in  public. 

1    Yoga,   mental  concentration  j  lit,  union.      Yogi,  one  who  practises 
yoga,  an  ascetic  or  hermit. 

24 


Vishnu  is  born  as  Rama  &?  his  Brothers 

Dasharatha  and  the  Horse  Sacrifice 
There  was  once  a  great  and  beautiful  city  called  Ayodhya — 
that  is,  "Unconquerable" — in  the  country  of  Koshala. 
There  all  men  were  righteous  and  happy,  well  read  and 
contented,  truthful,  well  provided  with  goods,  self-re- 
strained and  charitable  and  full  of  faith.  Its  king  was 
Dasharatha,  a  veritable  Manu  amongst  men,  a  moon 
amongst  the  stars.  He  had  many  wise  counsellors,  amongst 
whom  were  Kashyapa  and  Markandeya,  and  he  had  also  two 
saintly  priests  attached  to  his  family,  namely,  Vashishtha 
and  Vamadeva.  To  another  great  sage,  Rishyasringa,  he 
gave  his  daughter  Santa.  His  ministers  were  such  men 
as  could  keep  their  counsel  and  judge  of  things  finely; 
they  were  well  versed  in  the  arts  of  policy  and  ever  fair- 
spoken.  Only  one  desire  of  Dasharatha's  was  unsatisfied : 
he  had  no  son  to  carry  on  his  line.  Because  of  this,  after 
many  vain  austerities,  he  determined  at  last  on  the  greatest 
of  all  offerings — a  horse  sacrifice;  and  calling  the  family 
priests  and  other  Brahmans,  he  gave  all  necessary  orders 
for  this  undertaking.  Then,  returning  to  the  inner  rooms 
of  the  palace,  he  told  his  three  wives  what  had  been  set 
afoot,  whereat  their  faces  shone  with  joy,  like  lotus-flowers 
in  early  spring. 

When  a  year  had  passed  the  horse  that  had  been  set  free 
returned,  and  Rishyasringa  and  Vashishtha  performed  the 
ceremony,  and  there  was  great  festivity  and  gladness. 
Then  Rishyasringa  told  the  king  that  four  sons  would  be 
born  to  him,  perpetuators  of  his  race;  at  which  sweet  words 
the  king  rejoiced  exceedingly. 

Vishnu  is  born  as  Rama  and  his  Brothers 

Now  at  this  time  all  the  deities  were  there  assembled  to 

receive    their   share   of   the    offerings    made,   and  being 

25 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

assembled  together  they  approached  Brahma  with  a  petition. 
"  A  certain    wicked     rakshasa   named    Ravana   greatly 
oppresses  us,"  they  said,  "whom  we  suffer  patiently  be- 
cause thou  hast  granted  him  a  boon — not  to  be  slain  by 
gandharvas,  or  yakshas,  or  rakshasas,  or  gods.     But  now 
his  tyranny  becometh  past  endurance,  and,  O  Lord,  thou 
shouldst  devise  some  method  to  destroy  him."     To  them 
Brahma  replied:  "That  evil   rakshasa  disdained  to  ask 
from  me  immunity   from   the   attack  of  men:    by   man 
only  he  may  and  shall   be   slain."     Thereat   the   deities 
rejoiced.     At  that  moment  there  arrived  the  great  God 
Vishnu,  clad  in  yellow  robes,  bearing  mace  and  discus  and 
conch,  and  riding  upon  Garuda.     Him  the  deities  reve- 
renced, and  prayed  him  to  take  birth  as  the  four  sons  of 
Dasharatha  for  the  destruction  of  the  wily  and  irrepressible 
Ravana.     Then  that  one  of  lotus-eyes,  making  of  himself 
four  beings,  chose  Dasharatha  for  his  father  and  disap- 
peared.     In   a   strange    form,    like   a  flaming   tiger,  he 
reappeared  in  Dasharatha's  sacrificial  fire  and,  greeting 
him,  named  himself  as  the  messenger  of  God.     "  Do  thou, 
O  tiger  amongst  men,"  said  he,  "  accept  this  divine  rice 
and  milk,  and  share  it  amongst  thy  wives."   Then  Dasha- 
ratha, overjoyed,  carried  the  divine  food  and  gave  a  portion 
of  it  to  Kaushalya,  and  another  portion  to  Sumitra,  and 
another  to  Kaikeyl,  and  then  the  fourth  portion  to  Sumitra 
again.     In  due  time  four  sons  were  born  of  them,  sharing 
the  self  of  Vishnu — from  Kaushalya,  Rama ;  from  Kaikeyl, 
Bharata ;  and  from  Sumitra,  Lakshmana  and  Satrughna ; 
and  these  names  were  given  them  by  Vashishtha. 
Meanwhile  the  gods  created  mighty  monkey-hosts,  brave 
and  wise  and  swift,  shape-shifters,  hardly  to  be  slain,  to 
be  the  helpers  of  the  heroic  Vishnu  in  the  battle  with  the 
rakshasas. 
26 


Vishnu  is  born  as  Rama  &  his  Brothers 

The  four  sons  of  Dasharatha  grew  up  to  early  manhood, 
excelling  all  in  bravery  and  virtue.  Rama  especially  be- 
came the  idol  of  the  people  and  the  favourite  of  his  father. 
Learned  in  the  Vedas,  he  was  no  less  expert  in  the  science 
of  elephants  and  horses  and  in  riding  cars,  and  a  very 
mirror  of  courtesy.  Lakshmana  devoted  himself  to  Rama's 
service,  so  that  the  two  were  always  together.  Like  a 
faithful  shadow  Lakshman  followed  Rama,  sharing  with 
him  everything  that  was  his  own,  and  guarding  him  when 
he  went  abroad  to  exercise  or  hunt.  In  the  same  way 
Satrughna  attached  himself  to  Bharata.  So  it  was  till 
Rama  reached  the  age  of  sixteen. 

Now  there  was  a  certain  great  rishi  named  Vishvamitra, 
originally  a  Kshatriya,  who  by  the  practice  of  unheard-of 
austerities  had  won  from  the  gods  the  status  of  brahma-rishi. 
He  dwelt  in  the  Shaiva  hermitage  called  Siddhashrama, 
and  came  thence  to  ask  a  boon  from  Dasharatha.  Two 
rakshasas,  Marlcha  and  Suvahu,  supported  by  the  wicked 
Ravana,  continually  disturbed  his  sacrifices  and  polluted 
his  sacred  fire;  none  but  Rama  could  overcome  these 
devils.  Dasharatha  welcomed  Vishvamitra  gladly,  and 
promised  him  any  gift  that  he  desired ;  but  when  he  learnt 
that  his  dear  son  Rama  was  required  for  so  terrible  and 
dangerous  a  service,  he  was  cast  down,  and  it  seemed 
as  though  the  light  of  his  life  went  out.  Yet  he  could 
not  break  his  word,  and  it  came  to  pass  that  Rama  and 
Lakshman  went  away  with  Vishvamitra  for  the  ten  days 
of  his  sacrificial  rites.  But  though  it  was  for  so  short  a  time, 
this  was  the  beginning  of  their  manhood  and  of  love  and 
strife. 

Vashishtha  cheered  Dasharatha's  heart,  assuring  him  of 
certain  victory  for  Rama.  So,  with  his  father's  blessing, 
Rama  set  out  with  Vishvamitra  and  his  brother  Lakshman. 

27 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

A  cool  breeze,  delighted  at  the  sight  of  Rama,  fanned  their 
faces,  and  flowers  rained  down  upon  them  from  the  sky. 
Vishvamitra  led  the  way ;  the  two  brothers,  carrying  their 
bows  and  swords,  wearing  splendid  jewels  and  gloves  of 
lizard-skin  upon  their  fingers,  followed  Vishvamitra  like 
glorious  flames,  making  him  bright  with  the  reflection  of 
their  own  radiance. 

Arrived  at  the  hermitage,  Vishvamitra  and  the  other  priests 
began  their  sacrifice ;  and  when  the  rakshasas,  like  rain- 
clouds  obscuring  the  sky,  rushed  forward  in  horrid  shapes, 
Rama  wounded  and  put  to  flight  Marlcha  and  Suvahu, 
and  slew  the  others  of  those  evil  night-rangers.  After  the 
days  of  sacrifice  and  ritual  at  Siddhashrama  were  over, 
Rama  asked  Vishvamitra  what  other  work  he  required 
of  him. 

Rama  weds  the  Daughter  ofjanaka 
Vishvamitra  replied  that  Janaka,  Raja  of  Mithila,  was 
about  to  celebrate  a  great  sacrifice.  "  Thither,"  he  said, 
"we  shall  repair.  And  thou,  O  tiger  among  men,  shalt 
go  with  us,  and  there  behold  a  wonderful  and  marvellous 
bow.  This  great  bow  the  gods  gave  long  ago  to  Raja 
Devarata;  and  neither  gods  nor  gandharvas  nor  asuras 
nor  rakshasas  nor  men  have  might  to  string  it,  though 
many  kings  and  princes  have  essayed  it.  That  bow  is 
worshipped  as  a  deity.  The  bow  and  Janaka's  great 
sacrifice  shalt  thou  behold." 

Thus  all  the  Brahmans  of  that  hermitage,  with 
Vishvamitra  at  their  head,  and  accompanied  by  Rama 
and  Lakshman,  set  out  for  Mithila;  and  the  birds 
and  beasts  dwelling  in  Siddhashrama  followed  after 
Vishvamitra,  whose  wealth  was  his  asceticism.  As 
they  went  along  the  forest  paths  Vishvamitra  related 
28 


Rama  weds  the  Daughter  of  Janaka 

ancient  stories  to  the  two  brothers,  and  especially  the 
story  of  the  birth  of  Ganga,  the  great  river  Ganges. 
Janaka  welcomed  the  ascetics  with  much  honour,  and 
appointing  them  to  seats  according  to  their  rank,  he 
asked  who  those  brothers  might  be  that  walked  amongst 
men  like  lions  or  elephants,  godlike  and  goodly  to  be 
seen.  Vishvamitra  told  King  Janaka  all  the  history  of 
Dasharatha's  sons,  their  journey  to  Siddhashrama  and 
fight  with  the  rakshasas,  and  how  Rama  had  now  come  to 
Mithila  to  see  the  famous  bow. 

Next  day  Janaka  summoned  the  brothers  to  see  the  bow. 
First  he  told  them  how  that  bow  had  been  given  by 
Shiva  to  the  gods,  and  by  the  gods  to  his  own  ancestor, 
Devarata.  And  he  added  :  "  I  have  a  daughter,  Slta,  not 
born  of  men,  but  sprung  from  the  furrow  as  I  ploughed 
the  field  and  hallowed  it.  On  him  who  bends  the  bow 
I  will  bestow  my  daughter.  Many  kings  and  princes 
have  tried  and  failed  to  bend  it.  Now  I  shall  show  the 
bow  to  you,  and  if  Rama  succeed  in  bending  it  I  shall 
give  him  my  daughter  Slta." 

Then  the  great  bow  was  brought  forth  upon  an  eight- 
wheeled  cart  drawn  by  five  thousand  tall  men.  Rama 
drew  the  bow  from  its  case  and  strove  to  bend  it ;  it 
yielded  easily,  and  he  strung  and  drew  it  till  at  last  it 
snapped  in  two  with  the  sound  of  an  earthquake  or  a 
thunder-clap.  The  thousands  of  spectators  were  amazed 
and  terrified,  and  all  but  Vishvamitra,  Janaka,  Rama,  and 
Lakshman  fell  to  the  ground.  Then  Janaka  praised  Rama 
and  gave  orders  for  the  marriage  to  be  prepared,  and  sent 
messengers  to  Ayodhya  to  invite  Raja  Dasharatha  to  his 
son's  wedding,  to  give  his  blessing  and  consent. 
Thereafter  the  two  kings  met  and  Janaka  bestowed  Slta 
upon  Rama,  and  his  second  daughter  Urmila  on  Lakshman. 

29 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

To  Bharata  and  Satrughna  Janaka  gave  Mandavya  and 
Srutakirtl,  daughters  of  Kushadhwaja.  Then  those  four 
princes,  holding  each  his  bride's  hand,  circumambulated 
the  sacrificial  fire,  the  marriage  dais,  the  king,  and  all  the 
hermits  thrice,  while  flowers  rained  down  from  heaven  and 
celestial  music  sounded.  Then  Dasharatha  and  his  sons 
and  their  four  brides  returned  home,  taking  with  them  many 
presents,  and  were  welcomed  by  Kaushalya  and  Sumitra 
and  the  slender- waisted  Kaikeyl.  Having  thus  won  honour, 
wealth,  and  noble  brides,  those  four  best  of  men  dwelt  at 
Ayodhya,  serving  their  father. 

Now,  of  those  four  sons,  Rama  was  dearest  to  his  father 
and  to  all  men  of  Ayodhya.  In  every  virtue  he  ex- 
celled ;  for  he  was  of  serene  temper  under  all  circum- 
stances of  fortune  or  misfortune,  never  vainly  angered ;  he 
remembered  even  a  single  kindness,  but  forgot  a  hundred 
injuries;  he  was  learned  in  the  Vedas  and  in  all  arts  and 
sciences  of  peace  and  war,  such  as  hospitality,  and  policy, 
and  logic,  and  poetry,  and  training  horses  and  elephants, 
and  archery;  he  honoured  those  of  ripe  age;  he  regarded 
not  his  own  advantage ;  he  despised  none,  but  was  solici- 
tous for  the  welfare  of  every  one ;  ministering  to  his  father 
and  his  mothers,  and  devoted  to  his  brothers,  especially 
to  Lakshman.  But  Bharata  and  Satrughna  stayed  with 
their  uncle  Ashwapati  in  another  city. 

Rama  to  be  installed  as  Heir- Apparent 
Now  Dasharatha  reflected  that  he  had  ruled  for  many, 
many  years,  and  was  weary,  and  he  thought  no  joy 
could  be  greater  than  if  he  should  see  Rama  established 
on  the  throne.  He  summoned  a  council  of  his  vassals  and 
counsellors  and  neighbouring  kings  and  princes  who  were 
accustomed  to  reside  in  Ayodhya,  and  in  solemn  words, 
30 


r 

tat 
her 


in 

KAMA'S  MARRIAGE 

K.  Venkatappa 
Page  30 


\ 


Rama  to  be  installed  as  Heir-Apparent 

like  the  thunder  of  drums,  addressed  this  parliament  of 
men  : 

"Ye  well  know  that  for  many  long  years  I  have 
governed  this  realm,  being  as  a  father  to  those  that  dwell 
therein.  Thinking  not  to  gain  my  own  happiness,  I  have 
spent  my  days  in  ruling  according  unto  dharma}  Now 
I  wish  for  rest,  and  would  install  my  eldest  son  Rama  as 
heir-apparent  and  entrust  the  government  to  him.  But 
herein,  my  lords,  I  seek  for  your  approval ;  for  the  thought 
of  the  dispassionate  is  other  than  the  thought  of  the 
inflamed,  and  truth  arises  from  the  conflict  of  various 
views."  The  princes  rejoiced  at  the  king's  words,  as 
peacocks  dance  at  the  sight  of  heavy  rain-clouds.  There 
arose  the  hum  of  many  voices,  as  for  a  time  the  Brahmans 
and  army-leaders,  citizens  and  countrymen  considered 
together.     Then  they  answered  : 

"  O  aged  king,  assuredly  we  wish  to  see  Prince  Rama 
installed  as  heir-apparent,  riding  the  elephant  of  state, 
seated  beneath  the  umbrella  of  dominion." 
Again  the  king  inquired  of  them  for  greater  certainty: 
"Why  would  ye  have  Rama  to  your  ruler?"  and  they 
replied  : 

"  By  reason  of  his  many  virtues,  for  indeed  he  towers 
among  men  as  Sakra  amongst  the  gods.  In  forgiveness 
he  is  like  the  Earth,  in  debate  like  Brihaspati.  He 
speaks  the  truth,  and  is  a  mighty  bowman.  He  is 
ever  busied  with  the  welfare  of  the  people,  and  not  given 
to  detraction  where  he  finds  one  blemish  amongst  many 
virtues.  He  is  skilled  in  music  and  his  eyes  are  fair  to 
look  upon.  Neither  his  pleasure  nor  his  anger  is  in  vain ; 
he  is  easily  approached,  and  self-controlled,  and  goes  not 
forth  to  war  or  the  protection  of  a  city  or  a  province 
1  D/iarma,  righteousness,  the  established  code  of  ethics. 

31 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

without  victorious  return.  He  is  beloved  of  all.  Indeed, 
the  Earth  desires  him  for  her  Lord." 
Then  the  king  summoned  Vashishtha,  Vamadeva,  and  other 
of  the  Brahmans,  and  charged  them  to  make  ready  for 
Rama's  installation.  Orders  were  given  for  the  purveyance 
of  gold  and  silver  and  gems  and  ritual  vessels,  grains  and 
honey  and  clarified  butter,  cloth  as  yet  unworn,  weapons, 
cars,  elephants,  a  bull  with  gilded  horns,  a  tiger-skin, 
a  sceptre  and  umbrella,  and  heaped-up  rice  and  curds  and 
milk  for  the  feeding  of  hundreds  and  thousands.  Flags  were 
hoisted,  the  roads  were  watered,  garlands  hung  on  every 
door;  knights  were  notified  to  be  present  in  their  mail, 
and  dancers  and  singers  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness. 
Then  Dasharatha  sent  for  Rama,  that  long-armed  hero, 
like  the  moon  in  beauty,  and  gladdening  the  eyes  of  all  men. 
Rama  passed  through  the  assembly,  like  a  moon  in  the 
clear  starry  autumn  sky,  and  bending  low  worshipped  his 
father's  feet.  Dasharatha  lifted  him  and  set  him  on  a  seat 
prepared  for  him,  golden  and  begemmed,  where  he  seemed 
like  an  image  or  reflection  of  his  father  on  the  throne. 
Then  the  aged  king  spoke  to  Rama  of  what  had  been 
decided,  and  announced  that  he  should  be  installed  as  heir- 
apparent.  And  he  added  wise  counsel  in  these  words  : 
"  Though  thou  art  virtuous  by  nature,  I  would  advise 
thee  out  of  love  and  for  thy  good :  Practise  yet  greater 
gentleness  and  restraint  of  sense  ;  avoid  all  lust  and 
anger;  maintain  thy  arsenal  and  treasury;  personally 
and  by  means  of  others  make  thyself  well  acquainted  with 
the  affairs  of  state ;  administer  justice  freely  to  all,  that 
the  people  may  rejoice.  Gird  thee,  my  son,  and  under- 
take thy  task." 

Then  friends  of  Kaushalya,  Rama's  mother,  told  her  all 
that  had  been  done,  and  received  gold  and  kine  and  gems 


32 


Rama  to  be  installed  as  Heir-Apparent 

in  reward  for  their  good  tidings,  and  all  men  with 
delighted  minds  repaired  to  their  homes  and  worshipped 
the  gods. 

Then  aeain  the  kine  sent  for  Rama  and  held  converse  with 
him.  "  My  son,"  he  said, "  I  shall  install  thee  to-morrow 
as  heir-apparent ;  for  I  am  old  and  have  dreamt  ill 
dreams,  and  the  astrologers  inform  me  that  my  life-star  is 
threatened  by  the  planets  Sun  and  Mars  and  Rahu.  There- 
fore do  thou,  with  Sita,  from  the  time  of  sunset,  observe  a 
fast,  well  guarded  by  thy  friends.  I  would  have  thee  soon 
installed,  for  the  hearts  even  of  the  virtuous  change  by 
the  influence  of  natural  attachments,  and  none  knoweth 
what  may  come  to  pass."  Then  Rama  left  his  father  and 
sought  his  mother  in  the  inner  rooms.  He  found  her  in 
the  temple,  clad  in  silk,  worshipping  the  gods  and  praying 
for  his  welfare.  There,  too,  were  Lakshman  and  Sita. 
Rama  reverenced  his  mother,  and  asked  her  to  prepare 
whatever  should  be  necessary  for  the  night  of  fasting,  for 
himself  and  Sita.  Turning  then  to  Lakshman,"  Do  thou 
rule  the  Earth  with  me,"  he  said,  "  for  this  is  thy  good 
fortune  not  less  than  mine.  My  life  and  kingdom  I  desire 
only  because  of  thee."  Then  Rama  went  with  Sita  to  his 
own  quarters,  and  thither  Vashishtha  also  went  to  bless  the 
fast. 

All  that  night  the  streets  and  highways  of  Ayodhya  were 
crowded  with  eager  men ;  the  tumult  and  the  hum  of 
voices  sounded  like  the  ocean's  roar  when  the  moon  is 
full.  The  streets  were  cleaned  and  washed,  and  hung 
with  garlands  and  strings  of  flags  and  banners ;  lighted 
lamps  were  set  on  branching  cressets.  The  name  of 
Rama  was  on  every  man's  lips,  and  all  were  expectant 
of  the  morrow,  while  Rama  kept  the  fast  within. 

c  33 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

The  Scheming  of  Kaikeyl 

All  this  time  Bharata's  mother,  Kaikeyl,  had  not  heard  a 
word  of  Raja  Dasharatha's  intention.  Kaikeyl  was  young 
and  passionate  and  very  beautiful;  by  nature  she  was 
generous,  but  not  so  kind  or  wise  that  she  might  not 
be  swayed  by  the  crooked  promptings  of  her  own  desires 
or  another's  instigation.  She  had  a  faithful  old  hump- 
backed nurse  of  an  evil  disposition  ;  Manthara  was  her 
name.  Now  Manthara,  hearing  the  rejoicings  and  learn- 
ing that  Rama  was  to  be  installed  as  heir-apparent, 
hurried  to  inform  her  mistress  of  this  misfortune  to 
Bharata,  as  Rama's  honour  seemed  to  her  narrow  view. 
"  O  senseless  one,"  she  said,  "  why  art  thou  idle  and 
content  when  such  misfortune  is  thine?"  Kaikeyl  asked 
her  what  evil  had  befallen.  Manthara  answered  with 
words  of  anger :  "  O  my  lady,  a  terrible  destruction 
awaits  thy  bliss,  so  that  I  am  sunk  in  fear  immeasurable 
and  afflicted  with  heaviness  and  grief;  burning  like  a  fire, 
I  have  sought  thee  hurriedly.  Thou  art  verily  a  Queen  of 
Earth;  but  though  thy  Lord  speaks  blandly,  he  is  crafty 
and  crooked-hearted  within,  and  wills  thee  harm.  It  is 
Kaushalya's  welfare  that  he  seeks,  not  thine,  whatever 
sweet  words  he  may  have  for  thee.  Bharata  is  sent  away, 
and  Rama  is  to  be  set  upon  the  throne !  Indeed,  my  girl, 
thou  hast  nursed  for  thy  husband  a  poisonous  snake ! 
Now  quickly  act,  and  find  a  way  to  save  thyself  and 
Bharata  and  me."  But  Manthara's  words  made  Kaikeyl 
glad  :  she  rejoiced  that  Rama  should  be  heir,  and  giving 
a  jewel  to  the  humpbacked  maid,  she  said  :  "  What  boon 
can  I  give  thee  for  this  news?  I  am  glad  indeed  to  hear 
this  tale.  Rama  and  Bharata  are  very  dear  to  me,  and  I 
find  no  difference  between  them.  It  is  well  that  Rama 
34 


The  Scheming  of  Kaikeyi 

should  be  set  upon  the  throne.  Have  thanks  for  thy 
good  news." 

Then  the  humpbacked  servant  was  the  more  angry,  and 
cast  away  the  jewel.  "  Indeed,"  she  said,  "thou  art  mad 
to  rejoice  at  thy  calamity.  What  woman  of  good  sense  is 
gladdened  by  deadly  news  of  a  co-wife's  son's  preferment? 
Thou  shalt  be  as  it  were  Kaushalya's  slave,  and  Bharata 
but  Rama's  servant." 

But  still  Kaikeyi  was  not  moved  to  envy.  "Why  grieve 
at  Rama's  fortune?"  she  said.  "He  is  well  fitted  to  be 
king;  and  if  the  kingdom  be  his,  it  will  be  also  Bharata's, 
for  Rama  ever  regards  his  brothers  as  himself."  Then 
Manthara,  sighing  very  bitterly,  answered  Kaikeyi : 
"  Little  dost  thou  understand,  thinking  that  to  be  good 
which  is  thy  evil  fortune.  Thou  wouldst  grant  me  a 
reward  because  of  the  preferment  of  thy  co-wife  !  Know 
surely  that  Rama,  when  he  is  well  established,  will  banish 
Bharata  to  a  distant  land  or  to  another  world.  Bharata 
is  his  natural  enemy,  for  what  other  rival  has  he,  since 
Lakshmana  desires  only  Rama's  weal,  and  Satrughna  is 
attached  to  Bharata  ?  Thou  shouldst  save  Bharata  from 
Rama,  who  shall  overcome  him  as  a  lion  an  elephant:  thy 
co-wife,  Rama's  mother,  too,  will  seek  to  revenge  on  thee 
that  slight  thou  didst  once  put  on  her.  Sorry  will  be  thy 
lot  when  Rama  rules  the  earth.  Thou  shouldst,  while 
there  is  time,  plan  to  set  thy  son  upon  the  throne  and 
banish  Rama." 

Thus  Kaikeyl's  pride  and  jealousy  were  roused,  and  she 
grew  red  with  anger  and  breathed  deep  and  hard,  and 
answered  Manthara  : 

"This  very  day  Rama  must  be  banished  and  Bharata  in- 
stalled as  heir.  Hast  thou  any  plan  to  accomplish  this 
my  will,?" 

35 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

Then  Manthara  reminded  her  of  an  ancient  pledge :  how 
long  ago  in  a  great  battle  with  the  rakshasas  Dasharatha 
had  been  wounded  and  almost  slain  ;  how  Kaikeyl  had 
found  him  unconscious  on  the  field  of  battle,  and  borne 
him  to  a  place  of  safety  and  there  healed  him ;  how 
Dasharatha  had  granted  her  two  boons,  and  she  reserved 
those  boons  to  ask  them  from  him  when  and  as  she  would. 
"  Now,"  said  Manthara,  "  ask  thy  husband  for  these  boons : 
to  establish  Bharata  as  heir  upon  the  throne,  and  banish 
Rama  to  the  forests  for  fourteen  years.  During  those 
years  Bharata  shall  be  so  well  established  and  make  him- 
self so  dear  to  the  people  that  he  need  not  fear  Rama. 
Therefore  do  thou  enter  the  Anger-chamber,1  casting  off 
thy  jewels,  and,  putting  on  a  soiled  garment,  vouchsafe  no 
word  or  look  to  Dasharatha.  Thou  art  his  dearest  wife, 
to  whom  he  can  refuse  nothing,  nor  can  he  endure  to  see 
thee  grieved.  He  will  offer  thee  gold  and  jewels,  but  do 
thou  refuse  every  offer  but  the  banishment  of  Rama  and 
the  establishment  of  Bharata." 

Thus  was  Kaikeyl  led  to  choose  that  as  good  which  was 
in  truth  most  evil ;  stirred  up  by  the  humpbacked 
servant's  words,  the  fair  Kaikeyl  started  up  like  a  mare 
devoted  to  her  foal  and  rushed  along  an  evil  path.  She 
thanked  and  praised  the  humpbacked  Manthara,  and 
promised  her  many  rich  rewards  when  Bharata  should  be 
set  upon  the  throne.  Then  she  tore  off  her  jewels  and 
beautiful  garments,  and  flung  herself  down  upon  the  floor 
of  the  Anger-chamber ;  she  clasped  her  breasts  and  cried : 
"  Know  that  either  Rama  shall  be  banished  and  my  son 
installed,  or  I  shall  die :  if  Rama  goes  not  to  the  forest, 
I  will  not  desire  bed  or  garland,  sandal-paste  or  ointment, 
meat  or  drink,  or  life  itself."     So,  like  a  starry  sky  hidden 

1  A  room  set  apart  for  an  offended  queen. 
36 


The  Scheming  of  Kaikeyi 

by  heavy  clouds,  that  royal  lady  sulked  and  gloomed; 
like  a  bird-woman  struck  down  by  poisoned  shafts,  in  her 
distress  like  a  serpent's  daughter  in  her  wrath. 
Then,  while  it  was  still  long  before  the  dawn,  Dasharatha 
bethought  him  to  inform  Kaikeyi  of  the  coming  ceremony. 
Not  finding  her  in  her  painted  bower  nor  in  his  own 
rooms,  he  learnt  that  she  had  gone  to  the  Anger-chamber. 
There  he  followed,  and  beheld  his  youngest  wife  lying 
upon  the  ground  like  an  uprooted  vine  or  an  ensnared  doe. 
Then  that  hero,  like  a  forest  elephant,  tenderly  touched  the 
lotus-eyed  queen  and  asked  what  ailed  her.  "  If  thou 
art  sick  there  are  physicians;  or  if  thou  wouldst  have 
any  who  deserve  a  punishment  rewarded,  or  those  who 
should  be  rewarded  punished,  name  thy  wish :  I  can  deny 
thee  nothing.  Thou  knowest  that  I  can  refuse  no  request 
of  thine ;  ask  then  for  whatsoever  thou  desirest  and  be 
comforted." 

Thus  consoled,  she  answered:  "None  has  injured  me; 
but  I  have  a  desire  which,  if  thou  wilt  grant,  I  will  tell 
thee  of."  Then  Dasharatha  swore  by  Rama  himself  that 
he  would  accomplish  whatever  she  desired. 
Then  Kaikeyi  revealed  her  dreadful  wish,  calling  the 
Heaven  and  Earth  and  Day  and  Night  and  household 
gods  and  every  living  thing  to  witness  that  he  had 
promised  to  fulfil  her  will.  She  reminded  him  of  that  old 
war  with  the  asuras  when  she  had  saved  his  life  and  he 
had  granted  her  two  boons.  Thus  the  king  was  snared 
by  Kaikeyi,  like  a  deer  entering  a  trap.  "  Now  those 
boons,"  she  said,  "  which  thou  art  pledged  to  grant  me 
here  and  now,  are  these :  let  Rama,  clad  in  deer-skin,  lead 
a  hermit's  life  in  Dandaka  forest  for  fourteen  years,  and 
Bharata  be  established  as  heir-apparent.  Do  thou  now 
prove  thy  royal  word,  according  to  thy  race  and  character 

37 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Hf  Buddhists 

and  birth.  Truth,  so  the  hermits  tell  us,  is  of  supreme 
benefit  to  men  when  they  reach  the  next  world." 

Das  karat  has  Dilemma 

Then  Dasharatha  was  overwhelmed  with  grief  and  swooned 
away,  and,  coming  to  himself  again,  he  prayed  Kaikeyl  to 
waive  her  right.  For  long  he  pleaded  with  her,  weeping 
.heavy  tears  and  thinking  all  an  evil  dream  ;  but  Kaikeyl 
only  answered  with  exhortations  to  keep  his  sworn  word, 
reminding  him  of  many  ancient  exemplars  of  truth,  such  as 
Saivya,  who  gave  his  own  flesh  to  the  hawk  that  pursued 
the  dove  he  had  protected,  or  Alarka,  that  gave  his  eyes 
to  a  Brahman.  "  If  thou  dost  not  fulfil  what  has  been 
promised,  thou  art  for  ever  disgraced,  and  here  and  now 
shall  I  take  my  own  life,"  she  said.  Then  Dasharatha, 
urged  by  Kaikeyl  like  a  goaded  horse,  cried  out :  "  I  am 
bound  fast  by  the  bond  of  truth :  this  is  the  root  of 
all  my  seeming  madness.  My  only  wish  is  to  behold 
Rama." 

Now  dawn  had  come,  and  Vashishtha  sent  Rama's  charioteer 
to  tell  the  king  that  all  was  ready  for  the  ceremony. 
Hardly  able  to  say  anything  for  grief,  the  king  sent  that 
charioteer  to  fetch  Rama  to  his  side.  So,  leaving  Slta 
with  happy  words,  Rama  drove  through  the  gay  streets  to 
his  father's  palace ;  those  who  had  not  the  fortune  to  see 
Rama,  or  to  be  seen  by  him,  despised  themselves,  and 
were  despised  by  all. 

Rama  greeted  the  king  and  Kaikeyl  dutifully,  but  Dasha- 
ratha, altogether  broken  down  and  crushed  to  earth,  could 
only  murmur  faintly,  "  Rama,  Rama."  Grieved  at  heart, 
Rama  wondered  if  he  had  done  anything  amiss,  or  if  any 
misfortune  had  befallen  his  father.  "  O  mother,"  he  said 
to    Kaikeyl,   "  what   sorrow   has    overtaken    my   father's 

38 


Dasharatha's  Dilemma 

heart?"  Then  she  answered  shamelessly:  "O  Rama, 
nothing  ails  thy  father,  but  somewhat  he  has  to  tell  thee, 
and  since  thou  art  his  dearest  son,  he  cannot  frame  the 
speech  that  injures  thee.  Yet  thou  shouldst  perform  what  he 
has  promised  me.  Long  ago  the  Lord  of  the  Earth  promised 
me  two  boons :  now  in  vain  he  would  set  up  a  dyke,  after 
the  water  has  all  passed  away — for  thou  knowest  that  truth 
is  the  root  of  all  religion.  If  thou  wilt  accomplish  what- 
ever good  or  evil  he  ordains,  I  shall  tell  thee  all."  Rama 
answered :  "  Dear  lady,  do  not  speak  such  words  to  me ;  for 
if  he  order,  I  can  jump  into  the  fire  or  drink  strong  poison. 
Know  that  I  shall  carry  out  his  wish :  Rama's  promise 
never  fails."  Then  Kaikeyi  told  him  the  story  of  the 
boons,  and  she  said  :  "These  are  the  boons  I  have  been 
promised  :  that  thou  shouldst  dwell  as  a  hermit  in  Dandaka 
forest  for  fourteen  years,  with  dress  of  bark  and  matted 
hair,  and  that  Bharata  should  be  installed  as  heir-apparent 
on  the  throne  to-day.  Thy  father  is  too  much  grieved 
to  even  glance  at  thee  ;  but  do  thou  save  his  honour  by 
redeeming  those  great  pledges  he  has  given." 
Rama  was  not  grieved  or  angered  by  these  cruel  words, 
but  answered  quietly :  "  Be  it  as  thou  sayest.  I  am  only 
sorry  for  my  father's  grief.  Let  messengers  be  sent  at  once 
for  Bharata,  while  I,  not  questioning  his  wish,  go  to  the 
forest.  Even  though  he  has  not  himself  commanded  me, 
thy  order  is  sufficient.  Allow  me  now  to  see  my  mother 
and  to  comfort  Sita,  and  do  thou  serve  and  tend  both 
Bharata  and  our  father,  for  this  is  right."  Then  Rama, 
followed  by  Lakshman  hot  with  anger,  but  himself  unmoved, 
sought  his  mother,  and  found  her  making  offerings  to 
Vishnu  and  other  deities.  Gladly  she  greeted  him,  and  he 
reverently  her.  Then  he  told  her  all  that  had  befallen  : 
how  Bharata  should  be  appointed  heir,  and  himself  should 

39 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

live  for  fourteen  years  an  exile  in  the  forest.  Like  a  great 
sal  tree  felled  by  the  woodman's  axe,  she  sank  to  the  ground 
and  wept  inconsolably.  "  O  my  son,"  she  said,  "  hadst 
thou  not  been  born,  I  should  have  grieved  only  because  I 
had  no  son  ;  but  now  a  greater  sorrow  is  mine.  I  am  the 
eldest  of  the  queens,  and  have  ever  endured  many  things 
from  the  younger  wives.  Now  I  shall  be  as  one  of 
Kaikeyl's  maidservants,  or  even  less.  She  is  ever  of  sour 
mood  to  me;  how  may  I  now,  neglected  by  my  husband, 
meet  her  eyes  ?  Twenty-seven  years  of  thy  life  have  I 
expected  an  end  of  grief,  and  now  I  know  not  why  death 
delays  to  carry  me  away.  All  the  almsgiving  and  austerity 
have  been  in  vain.  Yet,  O  my  darling,  I  shall  follow  thee 
even  to  the  forest,  as  a  cow  follows  after  her  young  one ; 
for  I  cannot  bear  the  days  till  thy  return,  nor  dwell  amongst 
the  co-wives.  Do  thou  take  me  with  thee,  like  a  wild  hind." 
But  Lakshman  urged  his  brother  to  resist,  with  angry  and 
impatient  words,  vowing  to  fight  for  Rama  and  blaming 
Dasharatha  bitterly.  Kaushalya  then  joined  her  prayer 
to  Lakshman's,  and  would  seek  death  if  Rama  left  her. 
But  Rama,  unmoved  by  lust  of  Empire,  answered 
Lakshman  that  Kaikeyl  had  been  but  an  instrument  in 
the  hands  of  Destiny;  that  others  of  his  line  had  fulfilled 
hard  tasks  commanded  by  their  fathers  ;  that  he  would 
follow  the  same  path,  for  one  obeying  a  father  could  not 
suffer  degradation.  "  And,  O  gentle  brother,"  he  said, 
"  I  am  determined  to  obey  my  father's  order."  To 
Kaushalya  he  answered:  "The  king  has  been  ensnared 
by  Kaikeyl,  but  if  thou  dost  leave  him  when  I  am  gone 
he  will  surely  die.  Therefore  do  thou  remain  and  serve 
him,  according  to  thy  duty.  And  do  thou  pass  the  time 
in  honouring  the  gods  and  Brahmans."  Then  Kaushalya 
was  calmed  and  blessed  her  son,  commending  him  to  the 
40 


Sita  will  follow  Rama  into  Exile 

gods  and  rishis  and  holysteads  and  trees  and  mountains 
and  deer  of  the  forest  and  all  creatures  of  the  sky  to 
guard  him.  Then  with  sacred  fire  and  Brahman  ritual  she 
blessed  his  going  and  walked  sunwise  thrice  about  him, 
and  he  went  to  Sita. 

Sita,  who  knew  nothing  of  what  had  befallen,  rose  and 
greeted  him  with  trembling  limbs,  for  he  could  no  longer 
hide  his  crrief.  Then  Rama  told  her  all  that  had  been 
done,  and  he  said:  "Now  Bharata  is  king  thou  shouldst 
not  praise  me,  even  amongst  thy  friends ;  so  mayst  thou 
dwell  in  peace  as  one  favourable  to  their  party.  Do  thou 
thus  dwell  here  in  peace;  rise  betimes,  worship  the  gods, 
bow  to  the  feet  of  my  father  Dasharatha,  and  honour  my 
mother  Kaushalya,  and  after  her  my  other  mothers  with 
equal  love  and  affection.  Look  on  Bharata  and  Satrughna 
as  thy  sons  or  brothers,  for  they  are  dearer  to  me  than  life. 
Thus  live  thou  here,  while  I  go  forth  into  the  forest." 

Sita  will  follow  Rama  into  Exile 
Then  Sita  answered :  "  I  can  only  mock  at  such  unmeet 
words,  not  fitting  to  be  heard,  much  less  to  be  spoken  by 
a  great  prince  such  as  thou.  For,  O  my  lord,  a  father, 
mother,  son,  brother,  or  daughter-in-law  indeed  abide  by 
the  result  of  their  own  actions ;  but  a  wife,  O  best  of  men, 
shares  in  her  husband's  fate.  Therefore  I  have  been  ordered, 
no  less  than  thou,  to  exile  in  the  forest.  If  thou  goest 
there  I  shall  go  before  thee,  treading  upon  thorns  and 
prickly  grass.  I  shall  be  as  happy  there  as  in  my  father's 
house,  thinking  only  of  thy  service.  I  shall  not  cause  thee 
trouble,  but  will  live  on  roots  and  fruits.  I  will  precede 
thee  walking  and  follow  thee  in  eating.  And  there  will  be 
pools,  with  wild  geese  and  other  fowl  and  bright  with  full- 
blown lotus-flowers,  where  we  may  bathe.     There  shall  I 

4i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

be  happy  with  thee,  even  for  a  hundred  or  a  thousand 
years ! " 

But  Rama  strove  to  dissuade  her  by  recounting  a  tale  of 
hardships  and  dangers  endured  by  forest-dwellers,  as  of 
fierce  and  wild  animals,  poisonous  serpents,  a  bed  of 
leaves,  scanty  food,  arduous  ritual,  hunger,  thirst,  and 
fear.  But  Slta,  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  answered  patiently : 
"These  evils  seem  to  me  like  so  many  blessings  if  thou 
art  with  me,  nor  will  I  live  forsaken.  Moreover,  it  was 
prophesied  by  Brahmans  of  my  father's  house  that  I  should 
dwell  in  a  forest,  and  a  yogini  came  to  my  mother  when  I 
was  a  girl  and  told  the  same  tale.  Know  that  I  am  wholly 
bound  to  thee,  as  was  Savitri  to  Satyavan ;  thy  company  is 
heaven  to  me  and  thy  absence  hell.  Following  thee,  I 
shall  be  blameless,  for  a  husband  is  as  God  to  a  wife. 
Do  thou  take  me  to  share  equally  thy  joy  and  sorrow,  else 
will  I  drink  poison,  or  burn  in  fire,  or  drown  in  water!" 
So  she  prayed,  while  the  big  tears  trickled  down  her  face 
like  drops  of  water  from  the  petals  of  a  lotus. 
Then  Rama  granted  her  desire  :  "  O  fair  one,  since  thou 
fearest  not  the  forest  thou  shalt  follow  me  and  share  my 
righteousness.  Do  thou  bestow  thy  wealth  on  Brahmans 
and  make  haste  to  be  ready  for  the  journey."  Then  Sita's 
heart  was  gladdened,  and  she  bestowed  her  wealth  on 
Brahmans  and  fed  the  poor  and  made  all  ready  for  the  way. 

Lakshman  also  Follows 

Now  Lakshman,  too,  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  held  Rama's 
feet  and  spoke  to  him  :  "  If  thou  wilt  go  thus  to  the  forest 
full  of  elephants  and  deer,  I  shall  also  follow,  and  together 
we  shall  dwell  where  the  songs  of  birds  and  the  humming 
of  bees  delight  the  ear.  I  shall  go  before  thee  on  the  way, 
finding  the  path,  carrying  bows  and  hoe  and  basket ;  daily 
42 


Lakshman  also  Follows 

I  shall  fetch  the  roots  and  fruits  thou  needest,  and  thou 
shalt  sport  with  Slta  on  the  hill-sides,  while  I  do  every  work 
for  thee."  Nor  could  Rama  by  any  argument  dissuade  him. 
"Take  leave,  then,  of  all  thy  relatives,"  said  Rama,  "and 
bring  away  from  my  guru's *  house  the  two  suits  of  mail  and 
burnished  weapons  given  to  me  as  bridal  gifts  by  Janaka. 
Distribute  my  wealth  amongst  the  Brahmans."  Then  Rama, 
Sita,  and  Lakshman  went  to  farewell  their  father  and  the 
mothers  of  Rama.  Then  a  noble  Brahman  named  Sumantra, 
seeing  Dasharatha  broken  by  grief,  and  moved  to  pity  at  the 
going  forth  of  Rama,  prayed  Kaikeyl  to  relent,  clasping  his 
hands  and  using  smooth  but  cutting  speech ;  but  that  noble 
lady's  heart  was  hardened,  and  she  might  not  in  any  wise  be 
moved.  But  when  Dasharatha  wished  to  send  Ayodhya's 
wealth  and  men  with  Rama  to  the  forest  she  paled  and 
choked  with  anger,  for  she  required  that  Rama  should  go 
destitute  and  that  the  wealth  should  belong  to  Bharata. 
But  Rama  said  :  "  What  have  I  to  do  with  a  following  in 
the  forest  ?  What  avails  it  to  keep  back  the  trappings  of 
a  goodly  elephant  when  the  elephant  itself  is  renounced  ? 
Let  them  brine  me  dresses  of  bark,  a  hoe  and  basket." 
Then  Kaikeyl  brought  a  dress  of  bark,  one  each  for 
Rama  and  Lakshman  and  Slta.  But  Slta,  clad  in  robes 
of  silk,  seeing  the  robe  of  a  nun,  trembled  like  a  doe 
before  the  snare  and  wept.  Then  would  they  persuade 
Rama  to  leave  Slta  to  dwell  at  home,  abiding  his  return  ; 
and  Vashishtha  rebuked  Kaikeyl.  "  This  was  not  in  the 
bond,"  said  he,  "that  Slta  should  go  forth  to  the  forest. 
Rather  let  her  sit  in  Rama's  seat ;  for  of  all  those  that  wed, 
the  wife  is  a  second  self.  Let  Slta  rule  the  earth  in 
Rama's  stead,  being  Rama's  self,  for  be  sure  that  Bharata 

1  Guru,  a  teacher,  especially  in  matters  of  religion  and  philosophy,  here 
also  of  martial  exercises. 

43 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

will  refuse  to  take  the  throne  that  should  be  Rama's. 
Behold,  Kaikeyl,  there  is  not  a  person  in  the  world  who  is 
not  a  friend  to  Rama  :  even  to-day  thou  mayst  see  the 
beasts  and  birds  and  serpents  follow  him,  and  the  trees 
incline  their  heads  toward  him.  Therefore  let  Slta  be 
well  adorned  and  have  with  her  cars  and  goods  and 
servants  when  she  follows  Rama." 

Then  Dasharatha  gave  her  robes  and  jewels,  and  laying 
aside  the  dress  of  bark,  Slta  shone  resplendent,  while  the 
people  muttered  against  Kaikeyl,  and  Sumantra  yoked  the 
horses  to  Rama's  car.  Rama's  mother  bade  farewell  to 
Slta,  counselling  her  in  the  duties  of  women,  to  regard  her 
lord  as  God,  though  exiled  and  deprived  of  wealth  ;  to 
whom  Slta  answered :  "  The  moon  may  sooner  lose  its 
brightness  than  I  depart  from  this.  The  lute  without 
strings  is  silent,  the  car  lacking  wheels  is  motionless,  so  a 
woman  parted  from  her  lord  can  know  no  happiness.  How 
should  I  disregard  my  lord,  who  have  been  taught  the 
greater  and  the  lesser  duties  by  those  above  me  ?  " 
Then  Rama,  taking  leave  of  Dasharatha  and  of  his 
mothers,  said  with  praying  hands  :  "If  I  have  ever 
spoken  discourteously,  by  lack  of  thought,  or  inadver- 
tently done  any  wrong,  do  ye  pardon  it.  I  salute  all  ye, 
my  father  and  mothers,  and  depart."  Then  Slta,  Rama, 
and  Lakshman  walked  sunwise  thrice  about  the  king  and 
turned  away. 

Then  Rama  and  Lakshman,  and  Slta  third,  ascended  the 
flaming  car  of  gold,  taking  their  weapons  and  coats  of 
mail,  the  hoe  and  basket,  and  Sita's  goods  bestowed  by 
Dasharatha ;  and  Sumantra  urged  on  the  goodly  horses, 
swift  as  the  very  wind.  Men  and  beasts  within  the  city 
were  stricken  dumb  with  grief,  and,  bereft  of  wit,  rushed 
headlong  after  Rama,  like  thirsty  travellers  seeing  water; 

44 


Rama  &>  Sita  <§f  Lakshman  go  into  Exile 

even  Rama's  mother  ran  behind  the  car.  Then  Rama  said 
to  the  charioteer,  "Go  thou  swiftly,"  for,  like  a  goaded 
elephant,  he  might  not  bear  to  look  behind.  Soon  Rama  was 
far  away,  beyond  the  sight  of  men  gazing  at  the  car's  track. 
Then  Dasharatha  turned  to  Kaikeyi  and  cursed  her  with 
divorce  from  bed  and  home,  and  seeing  the  city  with  empty 
streets  and  closed  stalls, '  'Take  me  speedily  to  Rama's  mother, 
Kaushalya's  chamber;  only  there  may  I  find  any  rest." 

Rama  and  Sita  and  Lakshman  go  into  Exile 
Driving  fast  for  two  days,  Rama  reached  the  boundary  of 
Koshala,  and,  turning  back  toward  Ayodhya,  bade  farewell 
to  land  and  people.  "  O  best  of  cities,"  said  he,  "  I  say  it 
to  thee  and  to  the  deities  that  guard  and  dwell  with  thee : 
returning  from  my  forest  home,  my  debt  paid  off,  thee  and 
my  father  and  my  mother  I  will  see  again."  Then  they 
left  Koshala,  rich  in  wealth  and  kine  and  Brahmans,  and 
passed  through  other  smiling  lands  until  they  reached  the 
blessed  Ganga,  crystal  clear,  resorted  to  by  every  creature, 
haunted  by  gods  and  angels,  sinless  and  sin-destroying. 
There  Guha,  king  of  Nishadha,  greeted  them  and  fed  their 
horses  and  kept  guard  over  them  all  night,  and  when  the 
dark  cuckoo's  note  and  the  peacock's  cry  were  heard  at 
dawn  he  sent  for  a  splendid  ferry-boat.  Then  Rama  asked 
for  starch-paste,  and  he  and  Lakshman  dressed  their  hair 
in  matted  locks,  after  the  fashion  of  hermits  dwelling  in 
the  forest.  Rama  said  farewell  to  Guha,  and  Sumantra  the 
charioteer  he  bade  go  back  to  Ayodhya,  though  he  prayed 
to  follow  farther.  Then  as  they  crossed,  Sita  prayed  to 
Ganga  for  safe  return  after  fourteen  years,  vowing  to 
worship  that  River-Queen  with  many  offerings. 
That  night  they  dwelt  by  a  great  tree  on  the  farther 
bank  and  ate  boar's  flesh  slain  by  Rama  and  Lakshman ; 

45 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

and  those  two  brothers  vowed  to  protect  Slta  and  each 
other,  whether  in  solitude  or  amongst  men.  Lakshman 
should  walk  in  front,  then  Slta,  and  Rama  last.  They 
talked  also  of  Ayodhya,  and  Rama,  fearing  Kaikeyl's  evil 
heart,  would  have  Lakshman  return  to  care  for  Kaushalya ; 
and  he  railed  against  Kaikeyl  and  somewhat  blamed  his 
father,  swayed  by  a  woman's  will.  But  Lakshman  comforted 
his  brother  so  that  he  wept  no  more.  "Thoushouldst  not 
grieve,"  he  said,  "  grieving  Slta  and  me ;  and,  O  Rama, 
I  can  no  more  live  without  thee  than  a  fish  taken  out  of 
water — without  thee  I  do  not  wish  to  see  my  father,  nor 
Satrughna,  norSumitra,  nor  Heaven  itself."  Then  Rama 
was  comforted,  and  slept  with  Slta  under  the  banyan-tree, 
while  Lakshman  watched. 

Next  day  they  reached  the  holy  place  where  Ganga  joins 
with  Jamna  at  Prayag ;  there  they  came  to  the  hermitage 
of  Bharadwaja,  guided  by  the  wreathing  smoke  of  his 
sacrificial  fire,  and  they  were  welcome  guests.  Bharadwaja 
counselled  them  to  seek  the  mountain  of  Chitrakuta,  ten 
leagues  from  Prayag.  "  There  is  a  fit  abode  for  thee,"  he 
said,  "  graced  with  many  trees,  resounding  with  the  cries 
of  peacocks,  and  haunted  by  great  elephants.  There  are 
herds  of  elephants  and  deer.  Thou  shalt  range  the  woods 
with  Slta,  and  shalt  delight  in  rivers,  meadows,  caves,  and 
springs,  in  the  cries  of  cuckoos  and  the  belling  of  the 
deer,  and  in  pleasant  fruits  and  roots."  Then  he  taught 
them  how  to  come  there,  crossing  the  Jamna  and  passing 
the  great  banyan-tree  Shyama,  the  Dusky,  and  thence  by 
a  fair  sandy  road  through  the  Jamna  forests. 
So  Rama  and  Slta  and  Lakshman  took  leave  of 
Bharadwaja  and  crossed  the  Jamna  by  a  raft,  and  came 
to  Shyama.  Immediately  on  arrival  there,  Slta  prayed 
to  Jamna,  vowing  many  offerings  of  kine  and  wine 
46 


Dasharatha's  Grief  Sf  Death 

for  Rama's  safe  return.  To  Shyama  Sita  also  prayed, 
saluting  him  with  folded  hands :  "  O  great  tree,  I  bow  to 
thee.  May  my  lord's  vow  be  all  fulfilled,  and  we  again 
behold  Kaushalya  and  Sumitra."  Then  as  they  went  along 
the  forest  path,  Sita,  seeing  trees  and  flowers  unknown, 
asked  Rama  many  questions,  as  of  their  names  and 
virtues;  and  Lakshman  brought  her  flowers  and  fruits  to 
pleasure  her;  and  the  rippling  streams,  and  the  cries  of 
cranes  and  peacocks,  and  the  sight  of  elephants  and 
monkeys  delighted  her. 

On  the  second  day  they  reached  the  Chitrakuta  mountain, 
where  was  the  hermitage  of  Valmlki.  Greeted  by  that 
rishi,  Rama  told  him  all  that  had  befallen.  Then  Laksh- 
man fetched  divers  sorts  of  wood,  and  those  brothers 
built  a  goodly  house  with  doors  and  thatched  with  leaves. 
Then  Lakshman  slew  a  deer  and  cooked  it,  and  Rama 
made  ritual  offerings  to  the  divinities  of  that  very  place, 
and  after  communion  with  the  deities  he  entered  the  well- 
wrought  thatched  house  with  Sita  and  Lakshman,  and 
they  rejoiced  with  happy  hearts  and  cast  off  grieving  for 
Ayodhya. 

Dashdrathds  Grief  and  Death 

Meanwhile  Ayodhya  was  a  place  of  grief  and  mourning, 

without  comfort  for  king  or  people.     On  the  fifth  day  of 

Rama's  exile,  just  when  Kaushalya  for  a  moment  yielded 

to  her  sorrow  and  reproached  her  lord,  there  came  into 

Dasharatha's  mind  a  recollection  of  a  sin  committed  in  a 

past  life  by  means  of  an  arrow-finding-its-mark-by-sound 

— which    sin   now   bore    the    fruit    of    exile   and    death. 

Remembering  this  sin,  he  told  Kaushalya  the  same  night 

how  it  had  been  committed  : 

"  I  was  then  so  skilled  a  bowman  as  to  earn  the  name  of 

47 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

one  who,  aiming  by  sound  alone,  can  hit  the  mark.     Thou, 

0  lady,  wert  then  unwedded,  and  I  was  a  youthful  prince. 
It  was  when  rain  first  fell  after  the  days  of  burning  heat ; 
frogs  and  peacocks  were  rejoicing,  trees  were  shaken  by 
the  wind  and  rain,  the  hills  were  hidden  by  the  heavy 
showers.  On  such  a  pleasant  day  I  went  forth  to  hunt 
by  the  river  Sarayu,  and  there  I  heard  a  sound  like  the 
filling  of  a  water-jar  or  the  roaring  of  an  elephant. 
Then  I  shot  an  arrow  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  for  it 
was  dark,  so  that  nothing  could  be  seen.  Then  I  heard 
moans  and  cries,  and  I  found  a  hermit  by  the  bank,  pierced 
by  my  shaft ;  he  told  me  of  his  estate  and  bade  me  seek 
his  aged  parents  in  the  hermitage  near  by,  and  therewith 
died,  and  I  lamented  him.  Then  I  sought  his  father  and 
his  mother,  who  were  anxious  in  mind  because  of  his  delay, 
and  confessed  to  them  my  deed ;  and  the  rishi,  who  by  his 
curse  might  have  burned  me  to  a  cinder,  spared  my  life 
because  I  freely  told  him  all  that  had  befallen.  But  when 
the  funeral  pyre  was  ready,  and  those  aged  ones,  called 
by  a  vision  of  their  son,  burned  their  bodies  with  his  upon 
the  pyre,  they  twain  cursed  me  with  a  lesser  curse,  that 
in  the  end  I  should  meet  my  death  by  grieving  for  a  son. 
"  Thou  knowest,  gentle  lady,  that  the  fruit  of  good  or  evil 
actions  is  reaped  by  the  doer  thereof.  Childish  is  anyone 
who  does  any  action  not  considering  consequences  !  He 
that  fells  a  mango  grove  and  waters  other  trees  may  hope 
for  fruit  when  he  beholds  the  flower ;  but  when  the  season 
for  fruit  cometh  he  will  grieve  !     So  is  it  now  with  me : 

1  die  of  grief  for  Rama's  exile.  I  scarcely  see  thee,  my 
senses  are  no  longer  keen ;  I  am  like  a  smoking  lamp  that 
burns  low  when  there  is  but  little  oil  remaining.  O  Rama, 
O  Kaushalya,  O  unhappy  Sumitra,  O  cruel  Kaikeyl !  " 
Thus  lamenting,  Raja  Dasharatha  died. 

48 


Dasharatha's  Grief  &P  Death 

When  news  of  this  spread  abroad  next  day  Ayodhya  was 
plunged  in  deeper  grief,  for  in  a  kingless  country  all 
goes  amiss,  rain  does  not  fall,  there  are  no  rejoicings,  nor 
prosperity,  nor  safety  ;  a  kingdom  without  a  king  is  like  a 
river  without  water,  a  wood  without  grass,  a  herd  of  kine 
without  a  keeper ;  a  king  is  father  and  mother,  and  com- 
passeth  the  welfare  of  all  men  and  creatures.  Considering 
thus,  the  palace  officers  and  family  priests  took  counsel, 
headed  by  Vashishtha,  to  send  envoys  to  Bharata,  with  a 
message  that  he  should  come  at  once  for  a  matter  that 
might  not  be  delayed;  but  these  envoys  should  not  tell 
him  anything  of  Rama's  exile  or  the  king's  death.  Riding 
in  well-horsed  cars,  those  envoys,  going  very  swiftly,  reached 
on  an  evening  the  wealthy  city  of  Girivraja,  in  Kekaya, 
where  Bharata  was  lodged  with  his  maternal  uncle. 
That  same  night  Bharata  dreamt  many  evil  dreams  and 
might  not  be  comforted.  "  Either  I  or  Rama  or  Laksh- 
man  or  the  king  is  about  to  die,"  he  said.  Then  the 
envoys  entered  and  were  well  received.  Bharata  inquired 
if  all  was  well  with  his  father  and  mothers  and  brothers, 
and  was  assured  that  it  was  even  so.  Then  the  ambas- 
sadors delivered  their  message,  and  Bharata  told  his 
uncle  and  his  grandfather,  and  took  leave  to  go  to  Ayodhya. 
They  conferred  on  him  many  gifts,  as  woollen  cloths  and 
deer-skins  and  elephants  and  dogs  and  swift  horses ;  but 
he,  filled  with  anxiety  because  of  the  dreams  and  the  very 
hasty  journey  of  the  envoys,  had  little  pleasure  in  the  gifts, 
and  taking  with  him  Satrughna,  he  departed  quickly  to 
Ayodhya. 

Kaikeyl's  son  beheld  that  best  of  cities  at  sunrise  on  the 
seventh  day.  Seeing  that  all  was  dark  and  silent  in  that 
place  of  sadness,  and  beholding  many  inauspicious  sights 
foreboding  ill,  Bharata  entered  the  royal  palace  with  a  heavy 

d  49 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ^f  Buddhists 

heart.  Not  seeing  his  father  in  his  quarters,  he  sought 
his  mother  Kaikeyl  and  touched  her  feet.  She  rose  from 
her  golden  seat  delighted,  and  asked  him  of  his  welfare 
and  his  journey.  This  he  told  her,  and  himself  asked  for 
the  king.  "Where  is  that  lord  of  men,"  he  said,  "for  I 
would  fain  touch  his  feet  ?  He  is  most  often  here  with 
thee,  but  thy  room  and  couch  are  empty.  Is  he,  then,  with 
Kaushalya?  "  Then  Kaikeyl,  blinded  by  lust  of  glory  and 
deeming  that  desirable  for  Bharata  which  he  indeed  con- 
sidered evil,  answered  him:  "Thy  father  has  gone  the 
way  of  everything  that  lives."  Then  long  and  sadly  he 
bewailed,  and  said  at  last :  "  Happy  for  Rama  and  those 
who  were  present  when  my  sire  yet  lived,  and  might 
perform  his  death-bed  rites.  Now,  where  is  Rama,  who 
is  my  father,  brother,  and  friend?  I  am  his  servant;  I 
take  refuge  at  his  feet.  Do  thou  inform  him  that  I  am 
here.  And  do  thou  tell  me  how  my  father  died  and  what 
were  his  last  words."  Then  Kaikeyl  told  him  how  his 
father  died,  and  these  were  his  last  words,  she  said : 
"  Blessed  are  they  that  shall  see  Rama  and  the  strong- 
armed  Lakshman  returning  here  with  Slta."  Then 
Bharata  apprehended  fresh  misfortune,  and  asked  his 
mother  whither  Kaushalya's  son  and  Slta  and  Lakshman 
had  gone.  "  Rama  has  gone  with  Slta  and  Lakshman, 
wearing  hermits' robes,  to  Dandaka  forest,"  she  answered, 
and  told  him  the  whole  story  of  the  boons,  expecting  that 
he  would  be  pleased.  But  he  was  bitterly  angered,  and 
reproached  Kaikeyl  as  Dasharatha's  murderer :  "Like  a 
burning  coal,  born  for  the  destruction  of  our  race  art  thou, 
whom  my  father  unwittingly  embraced.  Thou  didst  little 
know  my  love  of  Rama!  Only  for  his  sake  it  is,  who 
calls  thee  mother,  that  I  renounce  thee  not.  Know  that 
this  kingdom  is  too  great  a  burden  for  me,  and  even  were 
50 


The  Regency  of  Bharata 

it  not  I  would  not  receive  it.  Now  I  shall  bring  back 
Rama  from  the  forest  and  will  serve  him.  But  thou  shalt 
suffer  misery  in  this  world  and  the  next;  all  that  befits 
thee  is  to  die  by  fire,  or  exile,  or  with  a  cord  about  thy  neck  1 " 
Then  came  Kaushalya  and  Vashishtha  and  greeted 
Bharata;  and,  guided  by  that  skilful  sage,  Bharata  per- 
formed all  his  father's  funeral  rites,  and  with  his  mothers 
walked  sunwise  around  the  burning  pyre,  and  after  ten  days' 
mourning  gathered  up  the  ashes.  Then,  as  he  still  grieved 
out  of  all  measure,  Vashishtha  counselled  him,  discoursing 
of  the  birth  and  death  of  beings  and  the  pairs1  that 
appertain  to  every  creature.  Thus  comforted,  those  chiefs 
of  men  held  up  their  heads  again,  like  Indra's  shining 
banner  stained  by  sun  and  rain. 

The  Regency  of  Bharata 

On  the  fourteenth  day  the  ministers  requested  Bharata  to 
take  his  seat  upon  the  throne ;  but  he  refused,  and  gave 
orders  to  prepare  an  expedition  to  go  in  search  of  Rama. 
When  all  was  ready  he  mounted  a  car  and  set  out  on  the 
way ;  with  him  went  six  thousand  other  cars,  and  a 
thousand  elephants,  and  a  hundred  thousand  cavalry,  and 
men  of  rank,  and  citizens,  as  merchants  and  traders, 
potters  and  weavers  and  armourers,  goldsmiths  and 
washermen  and  actors,  and  beside  these  many  learned 
men  and  well-respected  Brahmans. 

Passing  through  Guha's  realm,  the  host  was  entertained 
by  him,  and  again  by  Bharadwaja  at  Prayag.  One  word 
Bharadwaja  spoke  to  Bharata.  "Thou  shouldst  not 
blame  Kaikeyl,"  he  said.  "This  exile  of  the  king  is  for 
the  good  of   men  and   gods  and   asuras  and   hermits." 

1  "The  pairs," i.e.  the  pairs  of  opposites,  pleasure,  pain,  &c,  inseparable 
from  life. 

51 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

From  Prayag  the  mighty  host  marched  on  to  Chitrakuta, 
and  came  to  Rama's  hermitage.  Then  Bharata  advanced 
alone,  and  fell  at  his  brother's  feet.  This  was  the  fashion 
of  Rama  :  he  sat  in  the  leaf-thatched  house,  crowned  with 
matted  locks  and  clad  in  a  black  deer's  skin ;  like  a  flame 
he  was  and  lion-shouldered,  mighty-armed  and  lotus- 
eyed  ;  lord  of  this  sea-girt  world  he  seemed,  like  to  the 
ever-living  Brahma;  and  by  his  side  were  Lakshmana 
and  Slta.  Then  Bharata  wept  to  see  his  brother  thus,  who 
was  used  to  royal  state.  But  Rama  raised  him  from  the 
ground  and  kissed  his  head  and  asked  him  of  Dasharatha 
and  his  own  well-being.  Then  Bharata  related  all  that 
had  come  to  pass,  and  prayed  Rama  to  return  to  Ayodhya 
and  rule;  but  Rama  would  not.  "  How  can  I,  commanded 
by  my  father  and  mother  to  dwell  in  the  forest,  do  any 
otherwise  ?  Thou  shouldst  rule,  in  accordance  with  his 
will ;  thou  shouldst  not  blame  Kaikeyl,  for  obedience  is 
the  duty  alike  of  sons  and  wives  and  disciples,  nor  is  a 
mother's  wish  less  binding  than  a  father's."  Then 
Bharata  answered:  "If  the  kingdom  is  mine,  I  have  the 
right  to  bestow  it  upon  thee  ;  do  thou  accept  it."  But 
Rama  would  not  consent  to  this,  nor  be  moved  by  any 
argument,  whether  of  Bharata,  or  of  his  mother,  or  of 
Vashishtha,  or  of  any  of  that  host.  Then  Bharata  prayed 
Rama  for  his  golden  sandals,  and,  bowing  down  to  them, 
vowed  thus :  "  For  these  fourteen  years  I  shall  dwell  as  a 
hermit  without  the  walls  of  Ayodhya,  making  over  to  thy 
sandals  the  task  of  government.  If  then  thou  comest  not, 
I  shall  die  by  fire."  To  this  plan  Rama  agreed,  and, 
embracing  Bharata  and  Satrughna,  said,  "  So  be  it." 
One  thing  he  added:  "Do  thou  not  cherish  resentment 
against  Kaikeyl,  but  be  kindly  toward  her;  this  both 
myself  and  Slta  pray  thee."  Then  Bharata  walked  sun- 
52 


The  Forest  Life 

wise  about  Rama,  and,  placing  the  sandals  on  an  elephant, 
took  them  back  to  Ayodhya,  followed  by  all  that  host  of 
men.  There  he  installed  the  sandals  on  the  throne,  and, 
living  in  retirement,  carried  on  the  government  as  their 
minister. 

Now,  for  two  reasons,  Rama  would  no  longer  dwell  at 
Chitrakuta  :  first,  inasmuch  as  hosts  of  rakshasas,  out  of 
hatred  of  him,  annoyed  the  hermits  of  that  place;  and, 
secondly,  because  the  host  of  men  from  Ayodhya  had 
trampled  and  defiled  the  place;  and,  moreover,  it  re- 
minded him  too  sharply  of  his  brother's  grief  and  the 
citizens'  and  queen-mother's.  He  went,  therefore,  with 
Slta  and  Lakshman  toward  Dandaka,  and  entered  that 
deep  forest  like  the  sun  that  is  hidden  by  a  mass  of  clouds. 

The  Forest  Life 

Rama  and  Slta  and  Lakshman  wandered  through  the 
forest,  welcome  guests  at  every  hermitage.  The  great 
sages  dwelling  in  the  hermitages  also  complained  against 
those  devilish  rangers  of  the  night,  and  besought  Rama's 
protection  against  them,  which  he  freely  promised ;  and 
when  the  gentle  Slta  one  day  suggested  that  they  should 
lay  down  their  arms,  abandoning  the  rule  of  knights  for 
that  of  saints,  and  ceasing  from  hostility  even  against  the 
rakshasas — "  The  very  bearing  of  weapons  changeth  the 
mind  of  those  that  carry  them,"  she  said — Rama  answered 
that  it  might  not  be,  for  he  was  pledged  by  knightly  duty 
and  personal  promise. 

So  Rama  dwelt  in  the  forest  for  ten  years,  staying  a 
month,  a  season,  or  a  year  at  one  or  another  hermitage. 
Once  a  fierce  rakshasa  named  Viradha  seized  Slta  and 
would  have  carried  her  off,  but  Rama  and  Lakshman  with 
huge  labour  slew  him.     Another  time  they  met  a  mighty 

53 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

vulture ;  but  he  was  a  friend,  and  announced  himself  as 
Jatayu  and  a  friend  of  Rama's  father.  Jatayu  promised 
Rama  his  help,  and  to  guard  Slta  when  Rama  and 
Lakshman  went  abroad  together. 

Last  of  all,  Rama  and  Slta  and  Lakshman  came  to  Panchavati, 
where  stretched  a  fair  lawn  beside  the  river  Godaveri,  whose 
banks  were  overhung  by  flowery  trees.  The  waters  swarmed 
with  fowl,  throngs  of  deer  dwelt  in  the  woods,  the  cries  of 
peacocks  resounded,  the  hills  were  covered  with  good  trees 
and  flowers  and  herbs.  There  Lakshman  built  a  spacious 
bamboo  house,  well  thatched  with  leaves  and  with  a  well- 
smoothed  floor.  Thither  Jatayu  also  came ;  and  Rama,  Slta, 
and  Lakshman  were  contented,  like  the  gods  in  Heaven. 
Now  Rama  was  seated  with  Slta,  talking  to  Lakshman, 
when  there  came  to  Panchavati  a  fearful  and  hideous 
rakshasi,  sister  of  Ravana ;  and  when  she  saw  Rama, 
immediately  she  desired  him.  Her  name  was  Surpanakha. 
Refused  by  Rama,  she  sought  to  become  Lakshman's 
wife,  and,  repulsed  by  him,  she  returned  to  Rama  and 
would  have  slain  Slta.  Then  Lakshman  seized  his  sword 
and  cut  off  her  nose  and  ears,  and  she  fled  away  bleeding, 
till  she  met  her  brother  Khara,  younger  brother  of 
Ravana.  His  anger  at  her  misfortune  knew  no  bounds, 
and  he  sent  fourteen  rakshasas  to  slay  those  brothers  and 
Slta  and  bring  their  blood  for  Surpanakha  to  drink.  But 
Rama  slew  all  those  evil  creatures  with  his  arrows. 
Then  Khara  was  indeed  filled  with  furious  anger,  and  set 
out  himself  with  fourteen  thousand  rakshasas,  every  one 
shape-shifters,  horrible,  proud  as  lions,  big  of  mouth, 
courageous,  delighting  in  cruelty.  As  this  host  drove  on 
many  evil  omens  befell ;  but  Khara  was  fey  and  not  to  be 
turned  aside  from  what  he  deemed  a  small  matter — to  slay 
three  human  beings. 

54 


Ravana's  Wrath 

Rama,  perceiving  the  oncoming  host,  sent  Lakshman  with 
Sita  to  a  secret  cave,  and  cast  on  his  mail,  for  he  would 
fight  alone;  and  all  the  gods  and  spirits  of  the  air  and 
creatures  of  heaven  came  to  behold  the  battle.  The 
rakshasas  came  on  like  a  sea,  or  heavy  clouds,  and 
showered  their  weapons  upon  Rama,  so  that  the  wood- 
gods  were  afraid  and  fled  away.  But  Rama  was  not 
afraid,  and  troubled  the  rakshasas  with  his  marrow- 
piercing  shafts,  so  that  they  fled  to  Khara  for  protection. 
He  rallied  them,  and  they  came  on  again,  discharging 
volleys  of  uprooted  trees  and  boulders.  It  was  in  vain ; 
for  Rama,  alone  and  fighting  on  foot,  slew  all  the  fourteen 
thousand  terrible  rakshasas  and  stood  face  to  face  with 
Khara  himself.  A  dreadful  battle  was  theirs,  as  if  between 
a  lion  and  an  elephant ;  the  air  was  dark  with  flying  shafts. 
At  last  a  fiery  arrow  discharged  by  Rama  consumed  the 
demon.  Then  the  gods,  well  pleased,  showered  blossoms 
upon  Rama,  and  departed  whence  they  came.  And  Sita 
and  Lakshman  came  forth  from  the  cave. 

Ravana  s  IVrath 

But  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  rakshasas  was  brought  to 
Ravana,  and  he  who  brought  the  news  advised  Ravana  to 
vanquish  Rama  by  carrying  Sita  away.  Ravana  approved 
this  plan,  and  sought  out  the  crafty  Marlcha  to  further  his 
ends.  But  Marlcha  advised  Ravana  to  stay  his  hand  from 
attempting  the  impossible,  and  Ravana,  being  persuaded 
for  that  time,  went  home  to  Lanka. 

Twenty  arms  and  ten  heads  had  Ravana  :  he  sat  on  his 
golden  throne  like  a  flaming  fire  fed  with  sacrificial 
offerings.  He  was  scarred  with  the  marks  of  many  wounds 
received  in  battle  with  the  gods;  of  royal  mien  and 
gorgeously  apparelled  was  that  puissant  and  cruel  rakshasa. 

55 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  H$  Buddhists 

His  wont  was  to  destroy  the  sacrifices  of  Brahmans  and 
to  possess  the  wives  of  others — not  to  be  slain  by  gods  or 
ghosts  or  birds  or  serpents.  Now  Surpanakha  came  to  her 
brother  and  showed  her  wounds,  and  told  him  of  Rama  and 
Slta,  and  taunted  him  for  unkingly  ways  in  that  he  took 
no  revenge  for  the  slaughter  of  his  subjects  and  his  brother ; 
then  she  urged  him  to  bring  away  Slta  and  make  her  his 
wife.  So  he  took  his  chariot  and  fared  along  by  the  sea 
to  a  great  forest  to  consult  again  with  Marlcha,  who  dwelt 
there  in  a  hermitage  practising  self-restraint. 
Marlcha  counselled  Ravana  not  to  meddle  with  Rama. 
"  Thou  wouldst  get  off  easily,"  he  said,  "  if  Rama, 
once  angered,  left  a  single  rakshasa  alive,  or  held 
his  hand  from  destroying  thy  city  of  Lanka."  But 
Ravana  was  fey,  and  boasted  that  Rama  would  be  an  easy 
prey.  He  blamed  Marlcha  for  ill-will  toward  himself,  and 
threatened  him  with  death.  Then  Marlcha  out  of  fear 
consented,  though  he  looked  for  no  less  than  death  from 
Rama  when  they  should  meet  again.  Then  Ravana  was 
pleased,  and,  taking  Marlcha  in  his  car,  set  out  for  Rama's 
hermitage,  explaining  how  Slta  should  be  taken  by  a  ruse. 

The  Golden  Deer 

Marlcha,  obedient  to  Ravana,  assumed  the  form  of  a  golden 
deer  and  ranged  about  the  wood  near  Rama's  hut :  its 
horns  were  like  twin  jewels,  its  face  was  piebald,  its  ears 
like  two  blue  lotus-flowers,  its  sleek  sides  soft  as  the  petals 
of  a  flower,  its  hoofs  as  black  as  jet,  its  haunches  slender, 
its  lifted  tail  of  every  colour  of  the  rainbow — a  deer-form 
such  as  this  he  took !  His  back  was  starred  with  gold 
and  silver,  and  he  ranged  about  the  forest  lawns  seeking 
to  be  seen  by  Slta..  And  when  she  saw  him  she  was 
•  astonished  and  delighted,  and  called  to  Rama  and  Laksh- 
56 


But 


IV 

THE  DEATH  OF  MARICHA 

K.  Venkatappa 

Page  56 


B 


The  Golden  Deer 

man,  and  begged  Rama  to  catch  or  kill  the  deer  for  her,  and 
she  urged  him  to  the  chase.  Rama,  too,  was  fascinated  by  the 
splendid  deer.     He  would  not  heed  Lakshman's  warning 
that  it  must  be  a  rakshasa  disguised.  "All  the  more,  then, 
must  I  slay  it,"  said  Rama,  "but  do  thou  watch  over  Slta, 
staying  here  with  the  good  Jatayu.     I  shall  be  back  again 
in  a  very  little  while,  bringing  the  deer-skin  with  me." 
Now  vanishing,   now   coming  near,  the  magic   deer  led 
Rama  far  away,  until  he  was  wearied  out  and  sank  upon 
the  ground  under  a  shady  tree ;  then  it  appeared  again, 
surrounded  by  other  deer,  and  bounded  away.    But  Rama 
drew  his  bow  and  loosed  an  arrow  that  pierced  its  breast, 
so  that  it  sprang  high  into  the  air  and  fell  moaning  on  the 
earth.   Then  Maricha,  at  the  point  of  death,  assumed  his  own 
shape,  and  remembering  Ravana's  command,  he  bethought 
him  how  to  draw  Lakshman  also  away  from  Slta,  and  he 
called  aloud  with  Rama's  voice,  "  Ah,  Slta !    Ah,  Laksh- 
man."    At  the  sound  of  that  awful  cry  Rama  was  struck 
with  nameless  fear,  and  hurried  back  to  Panchavati,  leaving 
Maricha  dead. 

Now  Slta  heard  that  cry,  and  urged  Lakshman  to  go  to 
Rama's  help,  upbraiding  him  with  bitter  words;  for  he 
knew  Rama  to  be  unconquerable,  and  himself  was  pledged 
to  guard  Slta  from  all  danger.  But  she  called  him  a 
monster  of  wickedness,  and  said  that  he  cared  nothing  for 
Rama,  but  desired  herself ;  and  he  might  not  endure  those 
words,  and  though  many  an  ill  omen  warned  him,  she 
forced  him  thus  to  go  in  search  of  Rama.  So  he  bowed 
to  her  and  went  away,  but  often  turning  back  to  glance  at 
Slta,  fearing  for  her  safety. 


57 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

Sit  a  Stolen 

Now  Ravana  assumed  the  shape  of  a  wandering  yogi ; 
carrying  a  staff  and  a  beggar's  bowl,  he  came  towards  Slta 
waiting  all  alone  for  Rama  to  come  back.  The  forest 
knew  him :  the  very  trees  stayed  still,  the  wind  dropped, 
the  Godaven  flowed  more  slowly  for  fear.  But  he  came 
close  to  Slta,  and  gazed  upon  her,  and  was  filled  with  evil 
longings ;  and  he  addressed  her,  praising  her  beauty,  and 
asked  her  to  leave  that  dangerous  forest  and  go  with  him 
to  dwell  in  palaces  and  gardens.  But  she,  thinking  him  a 
Brahman  and  her  guest,  gave  him  food  and  water,  and 
answered  that  she  was  Rama's  wife,  and  told  the  story  of 
their  life;  and  she  asked  his  name  and  kin.  Then  he 
named  himself  Ravana  and  besought  her  to  be  his  wife, 
and  offered  her  palaces  and  servants  and  gardens.  But 
she  grew  angry  beyond  all  measure  at  that,  and  answered : 
"  I  am  the  servant  of  Rama,  lion  amongst  men,  immov- 
able as  any  mountain,  vast  as  the  mighty  ocean,  radiant 
as  Indra.  Wouldst  thou  draw  the  teeth  from  a  lion's 
mouth,  or  swim  the  sea  with  a  heavy  stone  about  thy 
neck?  As  well  mightst  thou  seek  the  Sun  or  Moon  as 
me!  Little  like  is  Rama  unto  thee,  but  different  as  is  a 
lion  from  a  jackal,  an  elephant  from  a  cat,  the  ocean 
from  a  tiny  stream,  or  gold  from  iron.  Indra's  wife  thou 
mightst  carry  off,  and  live;  but  if  thou  takest  me,  the 
wife  of  Rama,  thy  death  is  certain,  and  I,  too,  shall  surely 
die."  And  she  shook  with  fear,  as  a  plantain-tree  is 
shaken  by  the  wind. 

But  Ravana's  yellow  eyes  grew  red  with  anger  and  the  peace- 
ful face  changed,  and  he  took  his  own  horrid  shape,  ten-faced 
and  twenty-armed;  he  seized  that  gentle  thing  by  the  hair 
and  limbs,  and  sprang  into  his  golden  ass-drawn  car,  and 
58 


Sita  Stolen 

rose  up  into  the  sky.  But  she  cried  aloud  to  Lakshman  and 
to  Rama.  "  And  O  thou  forest  and  flowery  trees,"  she  cried, 
"  and  thou  Godaverl,  and  woodland  deities,  and  deer,  and 
birds,  I  conjure  you  to  tell  my  lord  that  Ravana  has  stolen 
me  away." 

Then  she  saw  the  great  vulture  Jatayu  on  a  tree,  and  prayed 
him  for  help ;  he  woke  from  sleep  and,  seeing  Ravana  and 
Sita,  spoke  soft  words  to  the  rakshasa,  advising  him  to 
leave  his  evil  course.  Jatayu  warned  him  that  Rama  would 
surely  avenge  the  wrong  with  death,  "  and  while  I  live 
thou  shalt  not  take  away  the  virtuous  Sita,  but  I  will  fight 
with  thee  and  fling  thee  from  thy  car."  Then  Ravan,  with 
angry  eyes,  sprang  upon  Jatayu,  and  there  was  a  deadly 
battle  in  the  sky ;  many  weapons  he  showered  on  Jatayu, 
while  the  king  of  birds  wounded  Ravana  with  beak  and 
talons.  So  many  arrows  pierced  Jatayu  that  he  seemed 
like  a  bird  half  hidden  in  a  nest;  but  he  broke  with  his 
feet  two  bows  of  Ravana's,  and  destroyed  the  sky-faring 
car,  so  that  Ravana  fell  down  on  to  the  earth,  with  Sita  on  his 
lap.  But  Jatayu  by  then  was  weary,  and  Ravana  sprang  up 
again  and  fell  upon  him,  and  with  a  dagger  cut  away  his 
wings,  so  that  he  fell  down  at  the  point  of  death.  Sita 
sprang  to  her  friend  and  clasped  him  with  her  arms,  but 
he  lay  motionless  and  silent  like  an  extinguished  forest  fire. 
Then  Ravana  seized  her  again  and  went  his  way  across  the 
sky.  Against  the  body  of  the  rakshasa  she  shone  like  golden 
lightning  amidst  heavy  clouds,  or  a  cloth  of  gold  upon  a 
sable  elephant.  All  nature  grieved  for  her:  the  lotus- 
flowers  faded,  the  sun  grew  dark,  the  mountains  wept  in 
waterfalls  and  lifted  up  their  summits  like  arms,  the 
woodland  deities  were  terrified,  the  young  deer  shed 
tears,  and  every  creature  lamented.  But  Brahma,  seeing 
Sita   carried    away,    rejoiced,    and    said,    "Our   work    is 

59 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &?  Buddhists 

accomplished  now,"  foreseeing  Ravana's  death.  The 
hermits  were  glad  and  sorry  at  once:  sorry  for  Slta,  and 
glad  that  Ravana  must  die. 

Now,  as  they  drove  through  the  sky  in  such  a  fashion  Slta 
saw  five  great  monkeys  on  a  mountain-top,  and  to  them 
she  cast  down  her  jewels  and  her  golden  veil,  unobserved 
of  Ravana,  as  a  token  for  Rama.  But  Ravana  left  behind 
the  woods  and  mountains,  and  crossed  the  sea,  and  came 
to  his  great  city  of  Lanka * — and  set  her  down  in  an  inner 
room,  all  alone  and  served  and  guarded  well.  Spies  were 
sent  to  keep  a  watch  on  Rama.  Then  Ravana  returned 
and  showed  to  Slta  all  his  palace  and  treasure  and 
gardens,  and  prayed  her  to  be  his  wife,  and  wooed  her  in 
every  way ;  but  she  hid  her  face  and  sobbed  with  wordless 
tears.  And  when  he  urged  her  again  she  took  a  blade  of 
grass  and  laid  it  between  Ravana  and  herself,  and  prophesied 
his  death  at  Rama's  hands  and  the  ruin  of  all  rakshasas, 
and  utterly  rejected  him.  Then  he  turned  from  prayer  to 
threats,  and,  calling  horrid  rakshasas,  gave  her  to  their 
charge,  and  commanded  them  to  break  her  spirit,  whether 
by  violence  or  by  temptation.  There  was  the  gentle  Slta, 
like  a  sinking  ship,  or  a  doe  amongst  a  pack  of  dogs. 

Kama's  Wrath 

Now  Rama,  returning  from  the  chase  of  Maricha,  was 
heavy-hearted ;  meeting  Lakshman,  he  blamed  him  much 
for  leaving  Slta.  The  jackals  howled  and  birds  cried  as 
they  hurried  back.  As  they  came  near  to  the  hermitage 
the  feet  of  Rama  failed  him,  and  a  trembling  shook  his 
frame;  for  Slta  was  not  there.  They  ranged  the  groves 
of  flowering  trees,  and  the  river  banks  where  lotus-flowers 
were  open,  and  sought  the  mountain  caves,  and  asked  the 

1  Lanka,  according  to  the  usual  view,  Ceylon. 
60 


V 

RAVANA  FIGHTING  WITH  JATAYU 

K.  Vknkatappa 

Paqe  60 


If 


Rama's  Wrath 

river  and  the  trees  and  all  the  animals  where  Slta  was. 
Then  Rama  deemed  that  rakshasas  had  eaten  her,  taking 
revenge  for  Khara.  But  next  they  came  to  where  Jatayu 
had  fought  with  Ravana,  and  saw  the  broken  weapons 
and  the  car  and  the  trampled  ground ;  and  Rama  raged 
against  all  beings,  and  would  destroy  the  very  heavens 
and  earth,  unless  the  gods  gave  back  his  Slta.  Then 
they  perceived  the  dying  Jatayu,  and  deeming  him  to  be 
a  rakshasa  that  had  eaten  Slta,  Rama  was  about  to  slay 
him.  But  Jatayu  spoke  feebly,  and  related  to  Rama  all 
that  had  befallen,  so  that  Rama,  throwing  down  his  bow, 
embraced  the  friendly  bird  and  lamented  for  his  death  ;  and 
Jatayu  told  of  Ravana  and  comforted  Rama  with  assur- 
ances of  victory  and  recovery  of  Slta.  But  therewith  his 
spirit  fled  away,  and  his  head  and  body  sank  clown  upon 
the  ground  ;  and  Rama  mourned  over  his  friend  : 
"Ah,  Lakshmana,"  he  said,  "this  kingly  bird  dwelt  here 
contented  many  years,  and  now  is  dead  because  of  me: 
he  has  given  up  his  life  in  seeking  to  rescue  Slta.  Be- 
hold, amongst  the  animals  of  every  rank  there  are  heroes, 
even  amongst  birds.  I  am  more  sorry  for  this  vulture 
who  has  died  for  me  than  even  because  of  Sita's  loss." 
Then  Lakshman  brought  wood  and  fire,  and  they  burned 
Jatayu  there  with  every  right  and  offering  due  to  twice- 
born  men,  and  spoke  the  mantras  for  his  speedy  coming 
to  the  abodes  of  the  shining  gods ;  and  that  king  of  vul- 
tures, slain  in  battle  for  a  good  cause,  and  blest  by  Rama, 
attained  a  glorious  state. 

Then  Rama  and  Lakshman  set  out  to  search  for  Slta  far 
and  wide  ;  it  was  but  a  little  time  before  they  met  a 
horrid  rakshasa,  and  it  was  no  light  matter  for  them  to 
come  to  their  above  in  battle  with  him.  But  he,  wounded 
to  death,  rejoiced,  for  he  had  been  cursed  with  that  form 

61 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

by  a  hermit  until  Rama  should  slay  and  set  him  free. 
Rama  and  Lakshman  burnt  him  on  a  mighty  pyre,  and  he 
rose  from  it  and,  mounting  upon  a  heavenly  car,  he  spoke 
to  Rama,  counselling  him  to  seek  the  help  of  the  great 
monkey  Sugriva  and  the  four  other  monkeys  that  dwelt 
on  the  mountain  Rishyamukha.  "  Do  not  thou  despise 
that  royal  monkey,"  he  said,  "  for  he  is  puissant,  humble, 
brave,  expert,  and  graceful,  good  at  shifting  shapes,  and 
well  acquainted  with  the  haunts  of  every  rakshasa.  Do 
thou  make  alliance  with  him,  taking  a  vow  of  friendship 
before  a  fire  as  witness,  and  with  his  help  thou  shalt 
surely  win  back  Slta."  Then  he  departed,  bidding  them 
farewell  and  pointing  out  the  way  to  Rishyamukha ;  and 
they,  passing  by  Matanga's  hermitage,  came  to  that  wooded 
mountain,  haunt  of  many  birds,  beside  the  Pampa  lake. 

Rdmcis  Alliance  with  Sugriva 
It  was  not  long  before  Rama  and  Lakshman  reached  the 
Rishyamukha  mountain,  where  Sugriva  dwelt.  Now  this 
Sugriva  lived  in  exile,  driven  from  home  and  robbed  of 
his  wife  by  his  cruel  brother  Vali ;  and  when  he  saw  the 
two  great-eyed  heroes  bearing  arms,  he  deemed  them  to 
have  been  sent  by  Vali  for  his  destruction.  So  he  fled 
away,  and  he  sent  Hanuman  disguised  as  a  hermit  to  speak 
with  the  knights  and  learn  their  purpose.  Then  Lakshman 
told  him  all  that  had  befallen,  and  that  Rama  now  sought 
Sugriva's  aid.  So  Hanuman,  considering  that  Sugriva 
also  needed  a  champion  for  the  recovery  of  his  wife  and 
kingdom,  led  the  knights  to  Sugriva,  and  there  Rama 
and  the  monkey-chief  held  converse.  Hanuman  made  fire 
with  two  pieces  of  wood,  and  passing  sunwise  about  it, 
Rama  and  Sugriva  were  made  sworn  friends,  and  each 
bound  himself  to  aid  the  other.  They  gazed  at  each  other 
62 


The  Search  for  Sita 

intently,  and  neither  had  his  fill  of  seeing  the  other.  Then 
Sugriva  told  his  story  and  prayed  Rama  for  his  aid,  and 
he  engaged  himself  to  overcome  the  monkey-chiefs  brother, 
and  in  return  Sugriva  undertook  to  recover  Sita.  He  told 
Rama  how  he  had  seen  her  carried  away  by  Ravana,  and 
how  she  had  dropped  her  veil  and  jewels,  and  he  showed 
these  tokens  to  Rama  and  Lakshman.  Rama  knew  them, 
but  Lakshman  said  :  "  I  do  not  recognize  the  bracelets  or 
the  ear-rings,  but  I  know  the  anklets  well,  for  I  was  not 
used  to  lift  my  eyes  above  her  feet." 

Now,  says  the  story,  Rama  fared  with  Sugriva  to  Vali's 
city,  and  overcame  Vali,  and  established  Sugriva  on  the 
throne.  Then  four  months  of  the  rainy  season  passed  away, 
and  when  the  skies  grew  clear  and  the  floods  diminished, 
Sugriva  sent  out  his  marshals  to  summon  the  monkey  host. 
They  came  from  Himalaya  and  Vindhya  and  Kailas,  from 
the  east  and  from  the  west,  from  far  and  near,  from  caves 
and  forests,  in  hundreds  and  thousands  and  millions,  and 
each  host  was  captained  by  a  veteran  leader.  All  the 
monkeys  in  the  world  assembled  there,  and  stood  before 
Sugriva  with  joined  hands.  Then  Sugriva  gave  them  to 
Rama  for  his  service,  and  would  place  them  under  his 
command.  But  Rama  thought  it  best  that  Sugriva  should 
issue  all  commands,  since  he  best  understood  the  ordering 
of  such  a  host,  and  was  well  acquainted  with  the  matter  to 
be  accomplished. 

The  Search  for  Sit  a 

As  yet  neither  Rama  nor  Lakshman  nor  Sugriva  knew 
more  of  Ravana  than  his  name  ;  none  could  tell  where  he 
dwelt  or  where  he  kept  Sita  hidden.  Sugriva  therefore 
dispatched  all  that  host  under  leaders  to  search  the  four 
quarters  for  a  month,  as  far  as  the  uttermost  bound  of  any 

63 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

land  where  men  or  demons  dwelt,  or  sun  shone.  But  he 
trusted  as  much  in  Hanuman  as  in  all  that  host  together; 
for  that  son  of  the  wind-god  had  his  father's  energy  and 
swiftness  and  vehemence  and  power  of  access  to  every 
place  in  earth  or  sky,  and  he  was  brave  and  politic  and 
keen  of  wit  and  well  aware  of  conduct  befitting  the  time 
and  place.  And  much  as  Sugriva  relied  on  Hanuman, 
Hanuman  was  even  more  confident  of  his  own  power. 
Rama  also  put  his  trust  in  Hanuman,  and  gave  him  his 
signet-ring  to  show  for  a  sign  to  Slta  when  he  should 
discover  her. 

Then  Hanuman  bowed  to  Rama's  feet,  and  departed  with 
the  host  appointed  to  search  the  southern  quarter,  while 
Rama  remained  a  month  with  Sugriva  expecting  his 
return.  And  after  a  month  the  hosts  came  back  from 
searching  the  north  and  west  and  east,  sorry  and  dejected 
that  they  had  not  found  Slta.  But  the  southern  host 
searched  all  the  woods  and  caves  and  hidden  places,  till 
at  last  they  came  to  the  mighty  ocean,  the  home  of 
Varuna,  boundless,  resounding,  covered  with  dreadful 
waves.  A  month  had  passed  and  Slta  was  not  found ; 
therefore  the  monkeys  sat  dejected,  gazing  over  the  sea 
and  waiting  for  their  end,  for  they  dared  not  return  to 
Sugriva. 

But  there  dwelt  a  mighty  and  very  aged  vulture  named 
Sampati  in  a  neighbouring  cave,  and  he,  hearing  the 
monkeys  talking  of  his  brother  Jatayu,  came  forth  and 
asked  for  news  of  him.  Then  the  monkeys  related  to  him 
the  whole  affair,  and  Sampati  answered  that  he  had  seen 
Slta  carried  away  by  Ravana  and  that  Ravana  dwelt  in 
Lanka,  a  hundred  leagues  across  the  sea.  "  Do  ye  repair 
thither,"  he  said,  "  and  avenge  the  rape  of  Slta  and  the 
murder  of  my  brother.  For  I  have  the  gift  of  foresight, 
64 


VI 

RAMA  SENDING  HIS  SIGNET- RING 

TO  SlTA 

K.  Venkatappa 

Page  64 


Sita  found  in  Lanka 

and  even  now  I  perceive  that  Ravan  and  Sita  are  there  in 
Lanka." 

Sita  found  in  Lanka 

Then  the  monkeys  grew  more   hopeful,  but   when   they 
marched  down  to  the  shore  and  sat  beside  the  heaving 
sea  they  were  again  downcast,  and  took  counsel  together 
sadly  enough.     Now  one  monkey  said   he  could  bound 
over  twenty  leagues,  and  another  fifty,  and  one  eighty,  and 
one  ninety ;  and  Angada,  son  of  Vali,  could  cross  over  a 
hundred,  but  his  power  would  not  avail  for  the  return. 
Then  Jambavan,  a  noble  monkey,  addressed  Hanuman,  and 
recalled    his   birth    and    origin,   how   the   wind-god    had 
begotten  him  and  his  mother  Anjana  had  borne  him  in 
the  mountains,  and  when  he  was  still  a  child  he  had  thought 
the  sun  to  be  a  fruit  growing  in  the  sky,  and  sprang  easily 
three  thousand  leagues  toward   it;    how  Indra  had  cast 
a  bolt  at  him,  breaking  his  jaw;  how  the  wind-god  in 
anger  began  to  destroy  the  heavens  and  earth,  till  Brahma 
pacified  him  and  granted  him  the  boon  that  his  son  should 
be  invulnerable,  and  Indra  gave  him  the  boon  of  choosing 
his  own  death.     "  And  do  thou,  heroic  monkey,  prove  thy 
prowess  now  and  bound  across  the  ocean,"  he  said,  "  for 
we  look  on  thee  as  our  champion,  and  thou  dost  surpass  all 
things  in  movement  and  in  vehemence." 
Then   Hanuman    roused    himself,    and   the   monkey  host 
rejoiced.     Swelling  with  pride  and  might,  he  boasted  of 
the  deed  he  would  accomplish.     Then  he  rushed  up  the 
mountain  Mahendra,  shaking  it  in  his  wrath  and  frighten- 
ing every  beast  that  lived  in  its  woods  and  caves.     Intent 
upon  achieving  a  hard  task,  where  no  friend  could  help 
and  no  foe  hindered,  Hanuman  stood  with  head  uplifted 
like  a  bull,  and  praying  to  the  sun,  to  the  mountain  wind, 

e  65 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

to  the  Self-create  and  to  all  beings,  he  set  his  heart  in  the 
work  to  be  accomplished.  He  grew  great,  and  stood,  like 
a  fire,  with  bristling  hair,  and  roared  like  thunder, 
brandishing  his  tail ;  so  he  gathered  energy  of  mind  and 
body.  "  I  will  discover  Slta  or  bring  Ravana  away  in 
chains,"  he  thought,  and  therewith  sprang  up  so  that  the 
very  trees  were  dragged  upward  by  his  impetus  and  fell 
back  again  behind  him.  He  hurtled  through  the  air  like 
a  mountain,  his  flashing  eyes  like  forest  fires,  his  lifted  tail 
like  Sakra's  banner.  So  Hanuman  held  his  way  across  the 
ocean.  Nor,  when  the  friendly  ocean  lifted  up  Mount 
Mainaka,  well  wooded  and  full  of  fruits  and  roots,  would 
Hanuman  stay  to  rest,  but,  rising  up,  coursed  through  the 
air  like  Garuda  himself.  Then  a  grim  rakshasi  named 
Sinhikha  rose  from  the  sea  and  caught  him  by  the 
shadow,  and  would  devour  him  ;  but  he  dashed  into  her 
mouth  and,  growing  exceeding  great,  burst  away  again, 
leaving  her  dead  and  broken.  Then  he  perceived  the 
farther  shore,  and  thinking  his  huge  form  ill-fitted  for  a 
secret  mission,  he  resumed  his  natural  size  and  shape,  and 
so  alighted  on  the  shore  of  Lanka,  nor  was  he  ever  so 
little  wearied  or  fatigued. 

On  the  mountain  summit  Hanuman  beheld  the  city  of 
Lanka,  girt  with  a  golden  wall,  and  filled  with  buildings 
huge  as  cloudy  mountains,  the  handiwork  of  Vishva- 
karman.  Impatiently  he  waited  for  the  setting  of  the 
sun ;  then,  shrinking  to  the  size  of  a  cat,  he  entered  the 
city  at  night,  unseen  by  the  guards.  Now  Lanka  seemed 
to  him  like  a  woman,  having  for  robe  the  sea,  for  jewels 
cow-pens  and  stables,  her  breasts  the  towers  upon  her 
walls  ;  and  behold,  as  he  entered  in,  she  met  him  in  a 
terrible  shape  and  barred  his  way.  Then  Hanuman 
struck  her  down,  though  gently,  considering  her  a  woman, 
66 


SIta  found  in  Lanka 

and  she  yielded  to  him,  and  bade  him  accomplish  his  affair. 
Hanuman  made  his  way  to  the  palace  of  Ravana,  towering 
on  the  mountain-top,  girt  with  a  wall  and  moat.     By  now 
the  moon  was  full  and  high,  sailing  like  a  swan  across 
the  skyey  sea,  and  Hanuman  beheld  the  dwellers  in  the 
palace,  some  drinking,  some  engaged   in  amorous  dalli- 
ance, some  sorry  and  some  glad,   some  drinking,  some 
eating,  some  making  music,  and  some  sleeping.     Many  a 
fair  bride  lay  there  in  her  husband's  arms,  but  Slta  of 
peerless  virtue  he  could  not  find ;  wherefore  that  eloquent 
monkey  was  cast  down  and  disappointed.    Then  he  sprang 
from    court   to    court,    visiting   the   quarters    of   all    the 
foremost  rakshasas,  till  at  last  he  came  to  Ravana's  own 
apartments,  a  very  mine  of  gold  and  jewels,  ablaze  with 
silver  light.     Everywhere  he  sought  for  Slta,  and  left  no 
corner  unexplored  ;   golden  stairs  and  painted  cars  and 
crystal  windows  and  secret  chambers  set  with  gems,  all 
these  he  beheld,  but  never  Slta.     The  odour  of  meat  and 
drink  he  sniffed,  and  to  his  nostrils  there  came  also  the 
all-pervading  Air,  and    it  said    to   him,    "Come  hither, 
where  Ravana    lies."     Following    the    Air,   he  came    to 
Ravana's    sleeping-place.       There   lay   the   lord   of    the 
rakshasas    upon   a   glorious    bed,    asleep   and   breathing 
heavily ;  huge  was  his  frame,  decked  with  splendid  jewels, 
like  a  crimson  sunset  cloud  pierced  by  flashes  of  lightning; 
his  big  hands  lay  on  the  white  cloth  like  terrible  five- 
hooded  serpents  ;  four  golden  lamps  on  pillars  lit  his  bed. 
Around  him  lay  his  wives,  fair  as  the  moon,  decked  in 
glorious   gems    and  garlands  that  never  faded.      Some, 
wearied  with  pleasure,  slept  where  they  sat;  one  clasped 
her  lute  like  an  amorous  girl  embracing  her  lover;  another 
fair  one,  skilled  in  the  dance,  made  graceful  gestures  even 
in  her  sleep;    others  embraced  each  other.     There,  too, 

67 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

was  Mandodarl,  Ravana's  queen,  exceeding  all  others  in 
her  splendour  and  loveliness ;  and  Hanuman  guessed  she 
must  be  Slta,  and  the  thought  enlivened  him,  so  that  he 
waved  his  arms  and  frisked  his  tail  and  sang  and  danced 
and  climbed  the  golden  pillars  and  sprang  down  again,  as 
his  monkey-nature  moved  him. 

But  reflection  showed  his  error,  for  he  said :  "  Without 
Rama,  Slta  would  not  eat  or  drink  or  sleep  or  decorate 
her  person,  nor  would  she  company  with  any  other  than  he ; 
this  is  some  other  one."     So   Hanuman  ranged  farther 
through  the  palace,   searching    many   a   bower  in   vain. 
Many  fair  ones  he  beheld,  but  never  Slta,  and  he  deemed 
she  must  be  slain  or  eaten  by  the  rakshasas.     So  he  left 
the  palace  and  sat  awhile  in  deep  dejection  on  the  city  wall. 
"  If  I  return  without  discovering  Slta,"  he  reflected,  "  my 
labour  will  have  been  in  vain.     And  what  will  Sugriva 
say,  and  the  sons  of  Dasharatha,  and  the  monkey  host? 
Surely  Rama  and  Lakshman  will  die  of  grief,  and  after 
them  Bharata,  and  then  Satrughna,  and  then  the  queen- 
mothers,  and  seeing  that,  Sugriva,  Rama's  friend,  will  die 
too,   and   the  monkey-queens,  and  Angada,  and   all   the 
monkey  race !    No  more  shall  the  noble  monkeys  assemble 
amongst  the  woods  and  mountains  or  in  secret  places  and 
indulge  in  games ;  but  a  loud  wailing  will  arise  when  I 
return,  and  they  will  swallow  poison,  or  hang  themselves, 
or  jump  down  from  lofty  mountains.     Therefore  I  must 
not  return  unsuccessful ;  better  that  I  should  starve  and  die. 
It  is  not  right  that  all  those  noble  monkeys  should  perish 
on  my  account.     I  shall  remain  here  and  search  Lanka 
again  and  again ;  even  this  Asoka  wood  beyond  the  walls 
shall  be  examined." 

Then  Hanuman  bowed  to  Rama  and  Slta,  to  Shiva,  to 
Indra  and  to  Death,  to  the  Wind,  the  Moon  and  Fire,  and 
68 


Hanuman  speaks  with  Slta 

to  Sugriva,  and  praying  to  these  with  thought  intent,  he 
ranged  the  Asoka  wood  with  his  imagination  and  met 
with  Slta.  Then  he  sprang  from  the  wall  like  an  arrow 
from  a  bow,  and  entered  the  wood  in  bodily  shape.  The 
wood  was  a  place  of  pleasure  and  delight,  full  of  flowering 
trees  and  happy  animals ;  but  Hanuman  ravaged  it  and 
broke  the  trees.  One  beautiful  Asoka  tree  stood  alone, 
amongst  pavilions  and  gardens,  built  round  with  golden 
pavements  and  silver  walls.  Hanuman  sprang  up  this 
tree  and  kept  watch  all  about,  thinking  that  Slta,  if  she 
were  in  the  forest,  would  come  to  that  lovely  place.  He 
saw  a  marble  palace,  with  stairs  of  coral  and  floors  of 
shining  gold,  and  there  lay  one  imprisoned,  weak  and  thin 
as  if  with  fasting,  sighing  for  heavy  grief,  clad  in  soiled 
robes,  and  guarded  by  horrid  rakshasls,  like  a  deer  among 
the  dogs  or  a  shining  flame  obscured  by  smoke. 
Then  Hanuman  considered  that  this  must  be  Slta,  for  she 
was  fair  and  spotless,  like  a  moon  overcast  by  clouds,  and 
she  wore  such  jewels  as  Rama  had  described  to  him. 
Hanuman  shed  tears  of  joy  and  thought  of  Rama  and 
Lakshman.  But  now,  while  he  yet  sat  hidden  on  the  tree, 
Ravana  had  waked,  and  that  lordly  rakshasa  came  with  a 
great  train  of  women  to  the  Asoka  wood.  They  followed 
their  heroic  husband  like  lightnings  following  a  cloud,  and 
Hanuman  heard  the  sound  of  their  tinkling  anklets  as  they 
passed  across  the  golden  pavements. 

Hanuman  speaks  with  Slta 

Ravan  came  toward  Slta,  and  when  she  saw  him  she 
trembled  like  a  plantain-tree  shaken  by  the  wind,  and 
hid  her  face  and  sobbed.  Then  he  wooed  her  in  every 
way,  tempting  her  with  wealth  and  power  and  comfort ; 
but  she  refused  him  utterly,  and  foretold    his    death   at 

69 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

Rama's  hands.     But  Ravana  waxed  wood-wrath,  and  gave 

a  two-month  term,   after  which,  if   she  yielded   not,  she 

should  be  tortured  and  slain ;  and  leaving  her  to  the  horrid 

rakshasi  guards  with  orders  to  break  her  will,  Ravana 

returned  with  his  wives   to  his  apartment.     Then  Sita, 

shrinking  from  the  horrible  she-demons,  threatening  her 

with  death  and  torture,  and  reviling  Rama,  crept  to  the 

foot  of  the  Asoka  tree  where  Hanuman  was  hidden. 

Hanuman  reflected  that  there  was  need  for  him  to  speak 

with  Sita;  but  he  feared  to  frighten  her,  or  to  attract  the 

notice  of  the  guard  and  bring  destruction  on  himself,  for, 

though  he  had  might  to  slay  the  rakshasa  host,  he  could 

not,  if  wearied  out,  return  across  the  ocean.     So  he  sat 

hidden  in  the  branches  of  the  tree  and  recited  Rama's 

virtues  and  deeds,  speaking  in  gentle  tones,  till  Sita  heard 

him.     She  caught  her  breath  with  fear  and  looked   up 

into  the  tree,  and  saw  the  monkey;  eloquent  was  he  and 

humble,  and  his  eyes  glowed  like  golden  fire.     Then  he 

came  down    out    of   the    tree,   ruddy-faced  and    humbly 

attired,  and  with  joined  palms  spoke  to  Sita.     Then  she 

told  him  that  she  was  Sita  and  asked  for  news  of  Rama, 

and  Hanuman  told  her  all  that  had  befallen  and  spoke  of 

Rama  and  Lakshman,  so  that  she  was  wellnigh  as  glad 

as  if  she  had  seen  Rama  himself.     But  Hanuman  came  a 

little  nearer,  and  Sita  was  much  afraid,  thinking  him  to 

be  Ravana  in  disguise.    He  had  much  ado  to  persuade  her 

that  he  was  Rama's  friend ;  but  at  last,  when  she  beheld 

the  signet-ring,  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  she  were  already 

saved,  and  she  was  glad  and  sorry  at  once — glad  to  know 

that  Rama  was  alive  and  well,  and  sorry  for  his  grief. 

Then  Hanuman  suggested  that  he  should  carry  Sita  on 

his  back  across  the  sea  to  Rama.  She  praised  his  strength, 

but  would  not  go  with  him,  because  she  thought  she  might 

70 


Hanuman  burns  Lanka 

fall  from  his  back  into  the  sea,  especially  if  the  rakshasas 
followed  them,  and  because  she  would  not  willingly  touch 
any  person  but  Rama,  and  because  she  desired  that  the 
glory  of  her  rescue  and  the  destruction  of  the  rakshasas 
should  be  Rama's.  "  But  do  thou  speedily  bring  Rama 
hither,"  she  prayed.  Then  Hanuman  praised  her  wisdom 
and  modesty,  and  asked  for  a  token  for  Rama ;  and  she 
told  him  of  an  adventure  with  a  crow,  known  only  to  her- 
self and  Rama,  that  had  befallen  long  ago  at  Chitrakuta, 
and  she  gave  him  a  jewel  from  her  hair,  and  sent  a 
message  to  Rama  and  Lakshman,  praying  them  to  rescue 
her.  Hanuman  took  the  gem  and,  bowing  to  Slta,  made 
ready  to  depart.  Then  Slta  gave  him  another  message 
for  Rama,  by  which  he  might  know  surely  that  Hanuman 
had  found  her.  "  Tell  him,  '  One  day  my  brow-spot  was 
wiped  away,  and  thou  didst  paint  another  with  red  earth 
— thou  shouldst  remember  this.  And,  O  Rama,  do  thou 
come  soon  ;  for  ten  months  have  passed  already  since  I 
saw  thee,  and  I  may  not  endure  more  than  another  month  ' ; 
and  good  fortune  go  with  thee,  heroic  monkey,"  she 
said. 

Hanuman  burns  Lanka 

But  Hanuman  was  not  satisfied  with  finding  Slta;  he 
dashed  about  the  Asoka  grove  and  broke  the  trees 
and  spoiled  the  pavilions,  like  the  Wind  himself.  The 
rakshasis  sent  messages  to  Ravana  for  help,  and  he,  hear- 
ing that  a  mighty  monkey  was  destroying  his  servants, 
sent  the  powerful  Jambumali,  bow  in  hand,  to  slay  Hanuman 
forthwith;  and,  indeed,  he  wounded  him  with  a  sharp 
arrow  as  he  sat  upon  a  temple  roof,  but  Hanuman  hurled 
a  bolt  at  him  and  crushed  him  utterly.  Then  a  host  of 
heroic  rakshasas,  led  by  Prince  Aksha,  proceeded  against 

7i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Hanuman  and  met  their  death;  next  Indrajit  was  sent 
against  him,  and  an  awful  battle  was  joined,  whereat  the 
very  gods  were  amazed.  He  sent  a  million  shafts  against 
the  monkey,  but  he,  ranging  the  sky,  escaped  them  all ; 
then  Indrajit  paused,  and  with  concentrated  mind  pondered 
over  the  true  character  of  Hanuman,  and  with  spiritual 
insight  perceived  that  he  was  not  to  be  slain  by  weapons. 
Therefore  he  devised  a  way  to  bind  him,  and  he  loosed  a 
Brahma  shaft  at  him.  Therewith  Hanuman  was  bound, 
and  knew  the  bond  unbreakable,  and  he  fell  to  earth ;  but 
he  reflected  that  it  would  be  well  for  him  to  converse  with 
Ravana,  and  therefore  he  struggled  not,  but  let  the  rak- 
shasas  bear  him  off.  But  they,  seeing  him  still,  bound  him 
yet  closer,  pitifully  moaning  the  while,  with  cords  and 
bark.  But  that  binding  was  the  means  of  his  release,  for 
the  binding  power  of  a  Brahma  weapon  is  broken  at  once 
if  another  bond  is  added  to  it.  But  the  wily  monkey 
gave  no  sign  that  the  bonds  were  loosed ;  and  the  fierce 
rakshasas,  crying  to  each  other,  "Who  is  he?  what  does 
he  want?"  and  "Kill  him!  burn  him!  eat  him !"  dragged 
him  before  Ravana. 

Questioned  by  Ravana's  minister,  Hanuman  answered  that 
he  was  indeed  a  monkey,  come  to  Lanka  as  Rama's  envoy  to 
accomplish  his  commands  and  to  behold  Ravana ;  and  he 
told  the  story  of  Rama  up  till  then,  and  gave  Ravana  sound 
advice,  to  save  his  life  by  surrendering  Slta.  Ravana 
was  furious  and  would  have  Hanuman  slain;  but  the 
counsellors  reminded  him  that  the  punishment  of  death 
could  not  justly  be  inflicted  upon  one  who  named  himself 
an  envoy.  Then  Ravana  cast  about  for  a  fitting  penalty, 
and  bethought  him  to  set  Hanuman's  tail  afire.  Then  the 
rakshasas  bound  the  ^monkey's  tail  with  cotton  soaked  in 
oil  and  set  it  all  ablaze.  But  the  heroic  monkey  cherished 
72 


■-■:•. 


VII 

BURNING  OF  LANKA 
K.  Venkatappa 

PasrC    72 


- 


Hanuman  returns  to  Rama 

a  secret  plan  ;  he  suffered  the  rakshasas  to  lead  him  about 
Lanka  that  he  might  the  better  learn  its  ways  and  strength. 
Then  word  was  taken  to  Slta  that  that  monkey  with  whom 
she  had  conversed  was  led  about  the  streets  of  Lanka  and 
proclaimed  a  spy,  and  that  his  tail  was  burning.  Thereat 
she  grieved,  and  praying  to  the  Fire,  she  said  :  "  As  I  have 
been  faithful  to  my  lord,  do  thou  be  cool  to  Hanuman." 
The  Fire  flamed  up  in  answer  to  her  prayer,  and  at  that 
very  moment  Hanuman's  sire  blew  cool  between  the  flame 
and  Hanuman. 

Perceiving  that  the  fire  still  burnt,  but  that  his  tail  was 
icy-cold,  Hanuman  thought  that  it  was  for  Rama's  sake 
and  Slta's  and  his  sire's  that  the  heat  was  chilled  ;  and  he 
snapped  his  bonds  and  sprang  into  the  sky,  huge  as  a 
mountain,  and  rushed  to  and  fro  in  Lanka,  burning  the 
palaces  and  all  their  treasures.  And  when  he  had  burnt 
half  Lanka  to  the  ground  and  slaughtered  many  a  rakshasa, 
Hanuman  quenched  his  tail  in  the  sea. 

Hanuman  returns  to  Rama 

Then  all  at  once  he  repented  of  his  rash  deed,  for  he  thought 
that  Slta  must  have  died  in  the  fire.  "  It  is  a  small  matter 
to  have  burnt  Lanka,"  he  reflected,  "  but  if  Slta  has  lost 
her  life  I  have  failed  altogether  in  my  work,  and  will  rather 
die  than  return  in  vain  to  Rama."  But  again  he  thought: 
"  It  may  be  that  that  fair  one  has  been  saved  by  her  own 
virtue ;  the  fire  that  scorched  me  not  has  surely  never  hurt 
that  noble  lady."  Therewith  he  hastened  back  to  the  Asoka 
tree  and  found  her  seated  there,  and  he  greeted  her,  and 
she  him,  and  once  more  they  spoke  of  Rama,  and  Hanuman 
foretold  that  he  would  speedily  rescue  Slta  and  slay  the 
rakshasas.  Then  Hanuman  sprang  up  like  a  winged 
mountain  and  fared  across  the  sea,  now  clearly  seen,  now 

73 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

hidden  by  the  clouds,  till  he  came  to  Mahendra,  flourish- 
ing his  tail  and  roaring  like  the  wind  in  a  mighty  cavern. 
And  all  the  monkey  host  rejoiced  exceedingly  to  see  and 
hear  him,  knowing  that  he  must  have  found  Sita  ;  they 
danced,  and  ran  from  peak  to  peak,  and  waved  the 
branches  of  trees  and  their  clean  white  cloths,  and  brought 
fruits  and  roots  for  Hanuman  to  eat.  Then  Hanuman 
reported  all  that  he  had  done  to  Angada  and  Jambavan, 
while  the  monkey  host  sat  round  about  the  three  there  on 
Mahendra's  summit. 

When  all  had  been  told,  Angada  turned  to  the  monkey 
host  and  said  :  "  O  noble  monkeys,  our  work  is  done,  and 
the  time  has  come  for  us  to  return  to  Sugriva  without 
delay";  and  they  answered  him:  "Let  us  go."  Then 
Angada  leapt  up  into  the  air,  followed  by  all  the  monkeys, 
darkening  the  sky  as  if  with  clouds  and  roaring  like  the 
wind ;  and  coming  speedily  to  Sugriva,  Angada  spoke 
first  to  the  heavy-hearted  Rama,  and  gave  him  tidings  of 
Sita  and  praised  the  work  of  Hanuman.  Then  Rama 
talked  with  Hanuman,  and  asked  him  many  a  question  as 
to  the  welfare  of  the  slender-waisted  Sita ;  and  Hanuman 
told  him  all,  and  gave  her  message  regarding  the  matter 
of  the  crow  and  of  the  painted  brow-spot,  and  showed  to 
Rama  the  jewel  from  Slta's  hair  entrusted  to  him  as  a 
token.  Rama  wept  at  the  sight  of  that  goodly  gem  :  it 
was  grief  to  him  to  behold  it  and  not  Sita  herself ;  but 
he  rejoiced  to  know  that  Sita  lived  and  that  Hanuman 
had  found  her. 

Then  Rama  praised  Hanuman  as  the  best  of  servants,  who 
had  done  more  even  than  was  required  of  him;  for  a 
servant,  merely  good,  does  what  is  commanded  and  no 
more,  and  a  bad  servant  is  one  who  does  not  even  that 
which    his   master  orders.     "Hanuman,"    he  said,  "has 

74 


Vibhishana  deserts  the  Rakshasas 

done  his  work  and  more,  and  sorry  am  I  that  I  cannot  do 
him  any  service  in  return.  But  affection  tells  of  all,"  and 
therewith  Rama  embraced  the  self-controlled  and  great- 
hearted Hanuman  like  a  brother. 

Next,  Sugriva  spoke  and  issued  orders  for  a  march  of  all 
the  host  toward  the  far  south  to  lay  a  siege  to  Lanka, 
while  Hanuman  reported  to  Rama  all  that  he  had  learnt 
of  the  strength  and  fortifications  of  the  city,  saying  :  "  Do 
thou  regard  the  city  as  already  taken,  for  I  alone  have 
laid  it  waste,  and  it  will  be  an  easy  matter  for  such  a 
host  as  this  to  utterly  destroy  it." 

Now  the  monkey  army  went  on  its  way,  led  by  Sugriva 
and  Rama,  and  the  monkeys  skipped  for  joy  and 
bounded  gleefully  and  sported  one  with  another.  With 
them  went  many  friendly  bears,  ruled  by  Jambavan,  guard- 
ing the  rear.  Passing  over  many  mountains  and  delightful 
forests,  the  army  came  at  length  to  Mahendra,  and  beheld 
the  sea  before  them  ;  thence  they  marched  to  the  very 
shore,  beside  the  wave-washed  rocks,  and  made  their 
camp.  They  covered  all  the  shore,  like  a  second  sea 
beside  the  tossing  waves.  Then  Rama  summoned  a 
council  to  devise  a  means  for  crossing  over  the  ocean, 
and  a  guard  was  set,  and  orders  issued  that  none  should 
wander,  for  he  feared  the  magic  of  the  rakshasas. 

Vibhishana  deserts  the  Rakshasas 
Meanwhile  Ravana  in  Lanka  called  another  council,  for 
"  Victory  follows  from  taking  counsel,"  as  the  sages  say. 
"Ye  know  how  the  monkey  Hanuman  harried  Lanka, 
and  now  Rama  has  reached  the  ocean  shore  with  a  host  of 
bears  and  monkeys,  and  he  will  dry  the  sea  or  bridge  it 
and  besiege  us  here.  Do  ye  consider  the  means  of  protec- 
tion for  the  city  and  the  army  " — thus  spake  Ravana  to 

75 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

his  counsellors.  And  his  generals  advised  him  to  entrust 
the  battle  to  his  son,  Prince  Indrajit,  while  others,  as 
Prahasta,  Nikumbha,  and  Vajrahanu,  boasted  that  they 
alone  would  swallow  up  the  monkey  army.  But  Vibhi- 
shana,  younger  brother  of  Ravana,  advised  another 
course.  "  Force,"  said  he,  "  is  only  to  be  resorted  to  when 
other  means  have  failed,  viz.  conciliation,  gifts,  and  sowing 
dissension.  Moreover,  force  avails  only  against  such  as 
are  weak  or  are  displeasing  to  the  gods.  What  but  death 
can  result  from  a  conflict  with  Rama,  self-controlled  and 
vigilant  and  strong  with  the  might  of  all  the  gods  ?  Who 
ever  thought  that  Hanuman  should  have  done  so  much  ? 
and  from  this  thou  shouldst  be  warned  and  yield  up  Slta 
to  her  lord,  to  save  thyself  and  us."  And  playing  a 
perilous  part,  he  followed  his  brother  to  his  own  chamber 
and  saluted  him,  and  spake  yet  further  for  his  welfare. 
"  From  the  day  that  Slta  came,"  he  said,  "  the  omens  have 
been  evil :  fire  is  ever  obscured  by  smoke,  serpents  are 
found  in  kitchens,  the  milk  of  kine  runs  dry,  wild  beasts 
howl  around  the  palace.  Do  thou  restore  Slta,  lest  we  all 
suffer  for  thy  sin."  But  Ravana  dismissed  his  brother 
angrily,  and  boasted  that  he  would  hold  Slta  as  his  own, 
even  if  all  the  gods  should  war  against  him. 
Now  the  reason  why  Ravana  had  never  up  till  now  used 
force  to  Slta  was  this,  that  Brahma,  one  time  when 
Ravana  had  ill-used  a  celestial  dame,  laid  upon  him  a 
curse  that  if  ever  again  he  did  the  like  against  his  victim's 
will  his  head  should  break  in  a  hundred  pieces.  And  by 
now  Ravana  was  thin  and  passion-worn  and  weary,  like  a 
horse  spent  with  a  long  journey,  and  he  desired  to  compass 
Rama's  death  and  make  Slta  his  own.  Therefore  he  took 
counsel  again  with  his  generals  for  war,  but  again 
Vibhishana  opposed  him,  till  Ravana  cursed  him  angrily 

76 


Adam's  Bridge 

as  cowardly  and  treasonable.  Then  Vibhishana  deemed 
the  time  had  come  when  he  could  suffer  no  more  of  such 
insults,  and  rising  into  the  air  with  his  four  personal 
followers,  he  said  to  Ravana  that  he  had  spoken  for  his 
welfare,  "but  the  fey  refuse  advice,  as  a  man  on  the 
brink  of  death  refuses  medicine."  So  saying  he  passed 
through  the  sky  across  the  sea  and  came  to  the  monkey 
host,  and  announced  himself  as  come  to  make  alliance 
with  Rama.  Most  of  the  monkey  leaders  were  for  slaying 
him,  for  they  put  little  faith  in  a  rakshasa,  even  if  he  were 
not  a  disguised  spy ;  but  Rama  spoke  him  fair,  and  engaged, 
in  return  for  his  assistance  in  the  war,  to  set  him  on  the 
throne  of  Lanka  when  Ravana  should  have  been  slain. 

"Adams  Bridge" 

Then  Hanuman  and  Sugriva  and  Rama  took  counsel  with 
Vibhishana  how  to  cross  the  ocean,  and  he  deemed  that 
Rama  should  seek  the  aid  and  the  friendship  of  Ocean 
for  the  building  of  a  bridge.  This  was  agreed  upon,  and 
Rama,  spreading  a  couch  of  sacrificial  grass,  lay  down 
upon  it,  facing  the  east,  with  praying  hands  toward  the 
sea,  resolving,  "  Either  the  ocean  shall  yield  or  I  will  die." 
Thus  Rama  lay  three  days,  silent,  concentred,  following 
the  rule,  intent  upon  the  ocean ;  but  Ocean  answered  not. 
Then  Rama  was  angered,  and  rose  and  took  his  bow,  and 
would  dry  up  the  sea  and  lay  Varuna's  home  bare ;  and  he 
loosed  dreadful  shafts  at  him  that  flamed  and  pierced  the 
waters,  awakening  mighty  storms,  distressing  the  nagas  and 
the  makaras  of  the  sea,  so  that  the  god-hermits  haunting 
the  sky  cried  out  "  Alas  !  "  and  "  Enough  !  "  But  Ocean 
did  not  show  himself,  and  Rama,  threatening  him,  set  to 
his  bow  a  Brahma  arrow  blest  with  a  Brahma  charm,  and 
drew.     Then  heaven    and  earth  were  darkened  and  the 

77 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

mountains  trembled,  lightnings  flashed,  and  every  creature 
was  afraid,  and  the  mighty  deep  was  wrought  with  violent 
movement.     Then  Ocean  himself  rose  from  mid-sea  like 
the  sun  from  Meru.     Jewelled  and  wreathed  was  he  and 
decked  with  many  gems,  and  followed  by  noble   rivers, 
such  as  Ganga,  Sindhu,  and  others.     He  came  to  Rama 
with  joined  palms  and  spoke  him  fair: 
"  O  Rama,"  said  he,  "  thou  knowest  that  every  element 
has  its  own  inherent  qualities.    Mine  is  this,  to  be  fathom- 
less and  hard  to  cross.     Neither  for  love  nor  fear  can  I 
stay  the  waters  from  their  endless  movement.     But  thou 
shalt  pass  over  me  by  means  of  a  bridge,  and  I  will  suffer 
it  and  hold  it  firm."     Then  Rama  was  appeased,  but  the 
Brahma  arrow  waited  to  find  its  mark  and  might  not  be 
restrained.     Rama  inquired  from  Ocean  :  "  Where  shall  I 
let  it  strike?"  and  Ocean  answered  :•  "There  is  a  part  of 
my  domain    toward    the   north  haunted  by  evil  wights; 
there  let  it  fall."     Then  Rama  let  fly  the  flaming  shaft, 
and  the  water  of  the  sea  toward  the  north  was  dried  and 
burnt,  and  where  the  sea  had  been  became  a  desert.     But 
Rama  blessed  the  desert  and  made  it  fruitful. 
Then   Ocean  said  to  Rama :   "  O  kind    one,   there  is  a 
monkey  here  named   Nala,  and  he  is  Vishvakarma's  son 
and  has  his  sire's  skill.     Full  of  energy  is  he,  and  he  shall 
build  the  bridge  across  me,  and  I  shall  bear  it  up."    Then 
Ocean  sank  again  beneath  the  waters.     But  Nala  said  to 
Rama:    "Ocean   has   spoken  truth:    only  because  thou 
didst  not  ask  me  I  hid  my  power  till  now." 
Now  all  the  monkeys,  following  Nala's  orders,  gathered 
trees  and  rocks  and  brought  them  from  the  forests  to  the 
shore,  and  set  them   in  the  sea.     Some  carried  timber, 
some  used  the  measuring-rods,  some  bore  stones;  huge 
was  the  tumult  and  noise  of  crags  and  rocks  thrown  into 

78 


■  uc 


But 


to 


VIII 

BUILDING  OF  RAMA'S  BRIDGE 

K.  Venkatappa 


Pa?e  '8 


Lanka  Besieged 

the  sea.  The  first  day  fourteen  leagues  were  made,  and 
on  the  fifth  day  the  bridge  was  finished,  broad  and 
elegant  and  firm — like  a  line  of  parting  of  the  hair  on 
Ocean's  head.  Then  the  monkey  host  passed  over, 
Rama  and  Lakshman  riding  upon  Sugriva  and  Angada. 
Some  monkeys  went  along  the  causeway,  others  plunged 
into  the  sea,  and  others  coursed  through  the  air,  and  the 
noise  of  them  drowned  the  sound  of  the  ocean  waves. 

Lanka  Besieged 

Dreadful  were  the  omens  of  war  that  showed  themselves : 
the  earth  shook,  the  clouds  rained  blood,  a  fiery  circle  fell 
from  the  sun.  But  the  monkeys  roared  defiance  at  the 
rakshasas,  whose  destruction  was  thus  foretold.  Then 
Rama,  beholding  Lanka  towering  up  to  pierce  the  heavens, 
built  by  Vishvakarma,  wrought,  as  it  were,  of  mind  rather 
than  matter,  hanging  in  the  sky  like  a  bank  of  snow-white 
clouds,  was  downcast  at  the  thought  of  Slta  prisoned 
there ;  but  he  arrayed  the  host  of  bears  and  monkeys  and 
laid  siege  to  Lanka. 

Meanwhile  Ravana's  spies,  sent  in  monkey  shape  to  gather 
news,  brought  tidings  thereof  to  Lanka,  and,  advising  him 
of  Rama's  resistless  power,  counselled  that  Slta  should  be 
surrendered  ;  but  Ravana  was  enraged,  and  drove  the 
spies  away  disgraced,  and  sent  others  in  their  place,  but 
ever  with  the  same  result.  No  help  was  there,  then,  but 
to  give  battle  or  yield  up  Rama's  bride ;  but  Ravana  took 
counsel  first  to  betray  Slta  to  his  will.  He  told  her  that 
the  monkey  host  had  been  dispersed  and  Rama  slain, 
and  a  rakshasl  came  in,  bringing  the  semblance  of  Rama's 
head  and  bow,  and  Slta  knew  them,  and  was  grieving  out 
of  all  measure,  and  crying  aloud  with  many  lamentations, 
and  she  prayed  Ravana  to  slay  her  by  Rama's  head  that 

79 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  Sf  Buddhists 

she  might  follow  him.  But  therewith  came  in  a  messenger 
from  the  rakshasa  general  calling  Ravana  to  the  battle, 
and  he  turned  to  the  field  of  war ;  and  when  he  left,  the 
head  and  bow  immediately  vanished,  and  Slta  knew  them 
to  have  been  but  counterfeits  and  vain  illusions. 

Rama  IVowided 

Now  Vibhishana's  four  rakshasa  followers  had  spied  on 
Lanka,  and  knew  the  disposition  of  Ravana's  forces ;  and 
Rama  laid  siege  to  the  four  gates  of  Lanka  accordingly, 
establishing  the  monkey  Nila  at  the  eastern  gate,  guarded 
by  the  rakshasa  general  Prahasta  ;  Angada  at  the  western 
gate,  guarded  by  Mahaparshwa  ;  Hanuman  at  the  southern 
gate,  guarded  by  Prince  Indrajit;   and  himself  attacked 
the  north  gate,  guarded  by  Ravana.     Then   Rama  sent 
Angada  as  an  envoy  to  Ravana,  challenging  him  to  the 
fight;    but    Ravana,    forgetting   the   respect   due   to   an 
envoy,  would  have  slain  him ;    and  Angada  sprang  away 
and  broke  the  palace  roof,  and  returned  to  Rama.     Then 
the  monkeys  advanced   in  order  and  swarmed  about  the 
walls,  flooding   the    moat    and   striking   terror   into  the 
hearts  of  the  rakshasas;  scaling  parties  climbed  the  walls 
and   battered    down    the    gates    with    trees   and    stones, 
shouting   "Victory  for  Rama  and  for  Sugriva!"      The 
rakshasas  sallied  forth   in  turn  with  horrid    trumpetings 
and  joined  in  battle  with  the  monkeys,  and  all  the  air  was 
filled  with   the  noise  of  fighting,   and  terrible  confusion 
arose  of  friend  and  foe  and  man  and  beast,  and  the  earth 
was  strewn  with  flesh  and  wet  with  gore.     Thus  an  equal 
battle  raged  till  evening ;  but  the  rakshasas  waited  for  the 
night,  and  eagerly  desired  the  setting  of  the  sun,  for  night 
is  the  rakshasas'  time  of  strongest  might.     So  night  fell, 
and  the  demons  ranged,  devouring  monkeys  by  thousands. 
80 


Rama  Wounded 

Then  those  of  Rama's  party  rallied  and  for  a  time  pre- 
vailed, and  Indrajit  was  beaten  back.  But  he,  resorting 
to  his  magic,  became  invisible,  and  showered  deadly 
wounding  arrows  upon  Rama  and  Lakshman ;  fighting  in 
crooked  ways,  he  bound  them  fast  so  that  they  fell  helpless 
to  the  oround,  covered  with  a  thousand  wounds. 
Sugriva,  Hanuman,  Vibhishana,  and  all  the  leaders  of  the 
monkeys  stood  round  about  those  wounded  heroes  with 
tear-filled  eyes;  but  Indrajit,  unseen  of  any  save  his  uncle 
Vibhishana,  rejoiced,  and  let  fly  many  a  shaft  that  wounded 
Hanuman  and  Nila  and  Jambavan.  Then  Indrajit  returned 
to  Lanka  as  a  victor,  and  his  father  welcomed  him  ;  and 
for  a  while  the  fighting  ceased. 

Now  Vibhishana  rallied  the  frightened  monkeys,  and 
comforted  Sugriva,  saying  :  "  This  is  no  time  for  giving 
way  to  grief.  Rama  is  not  dying.  Do  thou  gather  the 
forces  and  inspire  them  with  fresh  hope."  But  the 
monkeys  were  panic-stricken,  and  if  even  a  straw  moved 
they  deemed  it  to  be  a  rakshasa.  And  Ravana  meanwhile, 
taking  Sita  on  his  car,  showed  to  her  Rama  and  Lakshman 
lying  on  the  field,  senseless  and  pierced  with  many  arrows, 
wounded  and  lying  in  the  dust ;  and  she  deemed  them 
to  be  dead,  and  wailed — but  Ravana  brought  her  back  to 
Lanka. 

Meanwhile  Rama  came  to  himself,  and  seeing  Lakshman 
seeming  to  be  dead,  he  made  great  lamentation,  and 
praising  what  the  monkeys  had  done,  though  unsuccessful, 
he  gave  them  leave  to  go  whither  they  would  across  the 
bridge  and  seek  their  homes.  And  Vibhishana,  too,  had 
no  more  taste  for  battle  or  desire  for  the  throne  of  Lanka. 
But  Sugriva  comforted  them  and  gave  them  fresh  courage, 
and  the  monkey-chief  Sushena  told  of  a  magic  herb  that 
grows  by  the  Milky  Ocean,  and  can  restore  the  dead  to 

f  81 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

life,  "and  let  the  Wind-god's  son  go  thither  for  it,"  he 
said. 

The  Coming  of  Garuda 

But  as  he  spoke  a  stormy  wind  arose,  lashing  the  sea  and 
shaking  the  very  mountains,  and  suddenly  the  monkeys 
beheld  Garuda  sailing  through  the  air  like  a  flaming  fire. 
As  Garuda  came  nigh,  the  arrows  fell  from  the  wounded 
heroes  like  frightened  serpents  darting  away ;  and  when 
he   bent  in  salutation  and  touched  their  faces  with  his 
hands,  the  sons  of  Dasharatha  were  healed,  and  they  came 
to  their  former  strength  and  radiance,  and  more.     Then 
Rama  questioned  Garuda  who  he  was,  and  he  answered  : 
"  I  am  thy  friend,  thy  life  free-ranging  external  to  thyself, 
Garuda,  and  I  have  come  to  aid  thee,  hearing  that  thou 
wert  bound  by  the  magic  shafts  of  Indrajit.     Now  thou 
shouldst    take   warning    how    the     rakshasas    fight   with 
cunning  and  magic,  and  thou  shouldst  never  trust  them 
in  the  field.     I   take  my  way  :  thou   needst  not  wonder 
how  friendship  came  to  be  between  us ;  thou  shalt  know 
all  after  the  battle  is  achieved.     Surely  thou  shalt  slay 
Ravana  and  win  back  Slta."     With  this  Garuda,  embrac- 
ing Rama   and  Lakshman,  embracing,  too,  the   monkey- 
chiefs,  rose  into  the  sky  and  sailed  away  upon  the  wind. 
Then    the   monkey-chiefs,    seeing  Rama   and    Lakshman 
restored  to  life  and  power,  began  to  roar  and  frisked  their 
tails;    drums  and   kettledrums  were  struck,  and  seizing 
trees,  hundreds  and  thousands  of  monkeys  advanced  again 
upon  the  gates  of  Lanka.     The  rangers  of  the  night  issued 
forth  under  Dhumraksha  ("Grey-eye"),  and  there  was  a 
deadly  onset.    The  monkeys  bit  and  tore  and  fought  with 
trees  and  stones,  and  the  rakshasas  killed  and  wounded  them 
with  arrows  and  cleft  them  with  their  axes  and  crushed 
82 


Heavy  Fighting 

them  with  their  maces.  Then  seeing  the  monkeys  hard 
beset,  Hanuman,  seizing  a  heavy  rock,  advanced  on  Dhum- 
raksha, and,  casting  it  down  upon  his  car,  crushed  it  to 
dust;  then  Hanuman  laid  about  him  lustily,  and  armed 
with  a  mountain-top  he  rushed  on  Dhumraksha  again. 
But  the  rakshasa  brought  down  his  mace  on  Hanuman's 
head  and  wounded  him  sore;  then  Hanuman,  heedless  of 
the  wound,  let  fly  the  mountain-top  at  Dhumraksha,  and 
crushed  him  to  the  ground  like  a  falling  hill.  Seeing 
their  leader  slain,  the  rakshasas  retired. 

Heavy  Fighting 

Short  was  the  peace  ere  Ravana  sent  out  another  leader  of 
the  rakshasas,  the  deadly  Thunder-tooth  ;  him  Angada 
met  as  he  drove  the  monkey  host  before  him,  piercing 
five  and  nine  with  every  shaft,  and  engaged  in  deadly  duel, 
till  at  last  he  severed  the  demon's  neck  and  laid  him  low. 
Then  Ravana  sent  out  Akampana  ("  Unconquerable  "),  and 
he  was  slain  by  Hanuman,  with  all  his  host.  Then 
Ravana  was  somewhat  shaken  and  foreboded  ill,  but  he 
sent  for  Prahasta  ("Long-hand"),  his  foremost  general; 
and  he  gathered  another  host,  and  sallied  forth  upon  a 
splendid  car  by  the  eastern  gate,  accompanied  by  his 
counsellors,  Man-slayer  and  Noisy-throat  and  Tall.  That 
encounter  was  the  death  of  many  hundred  rakshasas  and 
monkeys,  and  the  occasion  of  many  a  deed  of  heroism. 
Prahasta  from  his  shining  car  sped  thousands  of  monkey- 
slaying  shafts,  and  a  very  river  of  blood  flowed  between 
the  opposing  hosts.  Then  Nila,  Agni's  son,  brandishing 
an  uptorn  tree,  rushed  on  Prahasta  ;  but  he  wounded  the 
monkey  with  showers  of  arrows.  At  last  his  bow  was 
shattered  in  the  conflict,  and  the  twain  fought  hand  to 
hand,  with  tooth  and  nail.     Then  Prahasta  struck  Nila  a 

83 


Myth! 


ls  of  the  Hindus  &f  Buddhists 

deadly  blow  with  his  mace,  and  Nila  flung  a  tall  tree  at 
Prahasta's  breast ;  but  he  lightly  avoided  that  and  rushed 
om  Nila.  Then  Nila  flung  a  mighty  crag  at  the  rakshasa, 
shattering  his  head,  so  that  he  fell  slain.  The  rakshasa 
host  drew  back  ;  like  water  rushing  through  a  broken 
dyke,  they  melted  away  and  entered  Lanka,  stricken  with 
grief  and  fear. 

Ravana  was  inflamed  with  wrath  to  learn  of  Prahasta's 
death,  and  his  heart  sank,  but  he  boasted  that  he  would 
himself  destroy  Rama  and  Lakshman  with  a  thousand 
shafts,  and  mounted  his  own  shining  car  and  led  a 
rakshasa  host  against  the  monkeys;  he  seemed  like  the 
Destroyer  himself,  accompanied  by  ghosts  and  flesh- 
devouring  monsters  with  burning  eyes.  Big-belly  and 
Goblin  and  Man-destroyer  and  Three-heads,  fighters  with 
mountain-peaks  and  flaming  maces,  came  with  Ravana. 
But  he,  when  they  were  face  to  face  with  the  besiegers, 
dismissed  the  host  to  take  their  ease,  and  himself  advanced 
to  fight  alone.  Then  first  Sugriva  hurled  a  mountain-top 
at  him,  but  Ravana  severed  it  with  his  golden  shafts,  so 
that  it  fell  vainly  to  the  earth,  and  he  sped  a  deadly 
flaming  shaft  at  the  monkey-king  that  bore  him  to  the 
ground  groaning  with  pain.  Then  other  monkey-chiefs 
together  rushed  at  Ravana,  but  these  in  like  fashion  he 
destroyed,  so  that  they  cried  to  Rama  for  help.  Lakshman 
prayed  for  that  battle,  and  Rama  granted  him,  and  he 
took  the  field ;  but  already  Hanuman  was  pressing  Ravana 
hard,  so  that  he  cried:  "Well  done,  monkey;  thou  art  a 
foe  in  whom  I  may  rejoice."  Therewith  he  struck  the 
Wind-god's  son  a  heavy  blow  so  that  he  shuddered  and 
fell  back,  and  Ravana  turned  to  fight  with  Nila.  But  the 
Fire-god's  son,  flaming  with  anger,  sprang  on  to  Ravana's 
car  and  darted  like  fire  from  point  to  point ;  and  Ravana's 

84 


Pot-ear  Awakened 

heart  sank,  but  he  took  a  deadly  shaft  and  aimed  at  Nila, 
and  laid  him  low,  at  the  very  point  of  death.  But  then 
Lakshman  took  up  the  battle,  and  showers  of  arrows  were 
loosed  by  either  hero,  so  that  both  were  sorely  wounded  ; 
and  a  flaming  dart  struck  Rama's  brother  down.  Then 
Ravana  seized  him;  but  he  that  could  raise  Himalaya 
could  not  lift  Lakshman  from  the  ground,  for  he  remem- 
bered that  he  was  a  very  part  of  Vishnu  himself,  and  he 
stayed  immovable.  Then  Hanuman  returned  and  struck 
the  rakshasa  king  a  staggering  blow  so  that  he  fell  back, 
senseless  and  bleeding,  on  the  platform  of  his  car ;  and 
Hanuman  lifted  Lakshman  easily  and  bore  him  away  to 
Rama.  Nor  was  it  long  before  both  Ravana  and  Laksh- 
man came  to  their  senses;  and  Rama,  mounted  upon 
Hanuman's  back,  engaged  in  a  dreadful  battle  with  the 
king  of  Lanka.  Rama  destroyed  his  car,  and  wounded 
Ravana  with  bolts,  and  cut  his  crown  atwain  with  a  fiery 
disc,  and  struck  him  with  an  arrow,  so  that  he  grew  weak 
and  faint;  then,  sparing  his  life,  he  sent  him  back  to 
Lanka,  saying :  "  Thou  hast  accomplished  deeds  of 
heroism,  and  I  see  thee  faint;  do  thou  retire  to  Lanka 
now,  for  thou  shalt  feel  my  power  in  another  battle."  So 
the  generous  Rama  spared  his  foe,  and  all  the  gods  and 
quarters  and  the  seas  and  creatures  of  earth  rejoiced  to 
see  the  rakshasa  king  cast  down. 

Pot-ear  Awakened 

Now  Ravana  bethought  him  of  his  brother  Kumbhakarna 
("Pot-ear").  He  would  ever  sleep,  now  six,  now  eight, 
now  ten  months  at  a  time,  and  would  wake  only  to 
gorge,  and  then  sleep  again.  But  he  was  the  hardest 
fighter  and  the  very  best  of  the  rakshasas  in  battle ;  and 
now  he  had  already  slept  nine  months,  when  Ravana  sent 

85 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

a  host  to  waken  him.  They  found  him  sleeping  in  his 
cave ;  he  lay  like  a  mountain,  drunk  with  sleep,  and  vast 
as  Hell,  his  rank  breath  sweeping  all  before  him,  smelling 
of  blood  and  fat.  The  rakshasas  made  ready  for  him 
heaps  of  deer  and  buffaloes,  steaming  rice  and  jars  of 
blood,  mountains  of  food  piled  up  as  high  as  Meru  ;  then 
set  about  to  wake  him.  They  winded  conchs  and  shouted 
and  beat  on  drums,  so  that  the  very  birds  in  the  sky  fell 
dead  of  fear;  but  Pot-ear  slept  the  harder,  and  the 
rakshasas  could  hardly  stand  against  the  tornado  of  his 
breath.  Then  they  girded  their  cloths  the  tighter,  and 
ten  thousand  of  them  yelled  together,  and  struck  heavy 
blows  at  him  with  logs  of  wood,  and  beat  a  thousand 
kettledrums  at  once.  Then  they  waxed  angrier,  and  set 
themselves  to  work  in  earnest ;  some  bit  his  ears,  some 
poured  a  thousand  pots  of  water  in  them,  some  wounded 
him  with  spears  and  maces,  and  some  drove  a  thousand 
elephants  against  him.  Therewith  at  last  he  woke,  and 
yawned,  and  yawned  again,  so  that  a  very  storm  was 
raging;  and  the  pangs  of  hunger  assailed  him,  and  he 
looked  about  for  food.  Then  he  beheld  the  feast,  and  fell 
to  heartily,  and  ate  and  drank ;  and  when  the  rakshasas 
thought  him  filled,  they  stood  around  him  and  bowed,  and 
informed  him  of  all  that  had  befallen,  and  prayed  his  help. 
Then  he,  already  half  asleep  again,  roused  himself,  and 
boasted  that  he  would  regale  the  rakshasas  with  an 
abundant  feast  of  monkey  flesh  and  blood ;  "  and  myself 
shall  swill  the  blood  of  Rama  and  Lakshman,"  said  he. 
So  Pot-ear  bathed,  and,  going  to  his  brother,  bade  him 
take  heart.  He  drank  two  thousand  flasks  of  wine,  and 
marched  out  like  a  moving  mountain,  clad  in  golden  mail, 
to  attack  the  monkeys.  The  monkeys  fled  in  terror,  but 
Pot-ear  caught  them  and  rushed  about  devouring  them 
86 


Rakshasa  Successes 

by  handfuls,  so  that  the  blood  and  fat  dripped  from  his 
mouth.  Then  Rama,  with  Hanuman  and  Angada  and 
other  brave  monkeys,  fell  on  him  with  trees  and  mountain- 
tops,  swarming  round  him  like  clouds  about  a  mountain; 
and  Pot-ear,  half  asleep  as  yet,  began  to  rouse  himself  and 
fight  in  earnest.  Hanuman,  from  the  sky,  cast  down  the 
mountain-peaks  on  him;  but  he  swallowed  twenty  and 
thirty  monkeys  at  a  mouthful,  and  slew  them  by  hundreds 
at  every  stroke,  and  wounded  Hanuman,  and  raged  from 
side  to  side. 

Pot-ear  Slain 

Then  Pot-ear  sped  a  second  deadly  shaft  at  Hanuman; 
but  he  caught  it  and  broke  it  with  his  hands,  and  all  the 
monkeys  shouted,  so  that  the  rakshasa  was  daunted  and 
turned  away.  But  therewith  Pot-ear  flung  a  mountain-top 
and  struck  Sugriva  down,  and  he  lifted  him  and  carried 
him  away.  The  monkeys  were  scattered  and  their  king  a 
prisoner.  But  Sugriva  roused  himself  and  turned  on 
Pot-ear  and  wounded  him  and  got  away;  and  the  battle 
was  joined  again,  and  Lakshman  fought  against  the 
rakshasa.  Then  Rama  took  up  the  battle,  and  wounded 
his  foe  with  many  shafts,  and  shot  away  an  arm,  destroy- 
ing a  hundred  monkeys  in  its  fall.  Then  with  a  second 
shaft  he  cut  away  the  other  arm,  and  with  two  keen-edged 
discs  he  cut  away  the  demon's  legs,  and  with  a  shaft  of 
Indra  he  struck  away  his  head ;  and  he  fell  like  a  great 
hill  and  crashed  down  into  the  sea,  and  the  gods  and 
heroes  rejoiced. 

Rakshasa  Successes 

Then  Ravana  grew  ever  more  heavy  of  heart ;   but  Prince 
Indra  jit  came  to  his  father  and  vowed  to  slay  Rama  and 

87 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

Lakshman  that  day,  and  he  sallied  forth.  But  first  he 
offered  libations  unto  Fire,  and  sacrificed  a  goat;  and  the 
bright,  smokeless  Fire-god,  with  his  flickering  tongue, 
rose  up  to  take  the  offering,  and  he  bestowed  a  Brahma 
weapon  on  Indrajit,  and  blessed  his  bow  and  car  with 
charms.  Armed  with  that  weapon,  Indrajit  slew  countless 
hosts  of  monkeys,  and  laid  low  Sugriva  and  Angada  and 
Jambavan  and  Nila  and  other  chiefs,  but  himself  remained 
invisible.  Then  Rama,  seeing  him  thus  weaponed  and 
unassailable,  counselled  a  semblance  of  defeat.  And 
Indrajit  returned  victorious  to  Lanka. 

Hanuman  fetches  Healing  Herbs 
Then  Vibhishana  and  Hanuman  ranged  the  field,  beholding 
thousands  of  slain  and  wounded,  a  horrid  sight  and  grim ; 
and  they  came  nigh  to  the  king  of  bears,  Jambavan,  and 
asked  if  he  yet  lived.  He  answered  faintly,  recognizing 
Vibhishana's  voice,  and  asked  if  Hanuman  was  alive ; 
then  Hanuman  bowed  to  Jambavan  and  held  his  feet. 
Jambavan  rejoiced,  and  despite  his  wounds  he  spoke  to 
the  Wind-god's  son : 

"  Do  thou  labour  for  this  host  of  bears  and  monkeys,  for 
only  thou  canst  save  them.  Thou  shalt  bound  over  the 
sea,  and  reach  Himalaya,  king  of  mountains,  and  bring 
thence  the  four  life-giving  herbs  that  grow  on  him, 
and  return  forthwith  with  healing  for  the  monkey 
host." 

Then  Hanuman  roared  and  sprang;  and  he  passed  across 
the  sea  and  over  hills  and  woods  and  rivers  and  cities  till 
he  came  to  Himalaya  and  beheld  its  hermitages.  He 
ranged  the  mountain,  but  the  herbs  were  hidden  from 
him ;  and  angered  and  impatient,  Hanuman  rooted  up  the 
whole  mountain  and  sprang  with  it  into  the  air  and 
88 


Havana's  Son  is  Killed 

returned  to  Lanka,  welcomed  by  all  the  host.  And  the 
slain  and  wounded  monkeys  rose  up  whole,  as  if  from 
restful  sleep,  healed  by  the  savour  of  the  four  medicinal 
herbs.  But  all  the  slain  rakshasas  had  been  cast  into  the 
sea.  Then  Hanuman  took  the  mountain-peak  again  to 
Himalaya  and  returned  to  Lanka. 

Now  Sugriva,  perceiving  that  few  rakshasas  lived  to 
guard  the  city,  stormed  the  gates,  and  a  host  of  monkeys 
bearing  flaming  brands  entered  and  burnt  and  ravaged  her. 
The  second  night  had  now  come  on,  and  the  burning  city 
glowed  in  the  darkness,  like  a  mountain  blazing  with 
forest  fires.  But  Ravana  sent  out  a  host  against  the 
monkeys  time  and  again.  First  Kumbha  and  Nikumbha 
led  the  rakshasas,  and  were  slain  in  deadly  battle ;  then 
Maharaksha,  son  of  Khara,  in  turn  was  slain,  and  Indrajit 
went  out  again.  He  fought  invisible  as  ever,  and  sorely 
wounded  Rama  and  Lakshman.  Then  Indrajit  retired, 
and  came  forth  again,  riding  on  a  car  with  an  illusory 
magic  figure  of  Slta ;  and  he  rode  up  and  down  the  field, 
holding  her  by  the  hair  and  striking  her,  and  he  cut  her 
down  in  the  sight  of  all  the  monkey  host.  Hanuman, 
believing  in  the  false  show,  stayed  the  battle  and  brought 
the  news  to  Rama;  and  Rama  fell  down,  like  a  tree  cut 
off  at  the  root.  But  while  they  grieved,  Indrajit  went  to 
the  altar  at  Nikhumbila  to  make  sacrifices  to  the  god  of  Fire. 

Ravana  s  Son  is  Killed 

Meanwhile  Vibhishana  came  to  Rama  and  found  him 
overwhelmed  with  grief,  and  Lakshman  told  him  that 
Slta  had  been  slain  by  Indrajit.  But  Vibhishana  guessed 
this  to  have  been  a  vain  show,  less  possible  than  for  the 
ocean  to  be  dried  up.  "  It  is  a  device,"  he  said,  "  to 
delay  the  monkey  army  till  Indrajit  shall  have  completed 

89 


V 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

a  sacrifice  to  Fire  and  have  won  as  a  boon  to  be  invincible 
in  battle.  Therefore  grieve  not,  but  hasten  to  prevent  his 
offerings,  lest  the  very  gods  be  in  danger  if  he  complete 
them."  Then  Rama  rose,  and  with  Lakshman  and  Vibhi- 
shana  pursued  the  son  of  Ravana  ;  and  they  overtook 
him  ere  he  reached  Nikhumbila,  mounted  on  a  fiery  car. 
Then  befell  the  worst  and  fiercest  of  conflicts  that  had  yet 
been :  Lakshman  bore  the  brunt  of  that  battle,  and  it  is 
said  that  the  ancestors  and  gods,  the  birds  and  snakes, 
protected  Lakshman  from  the  deadly  shafts.  And  this 
was  at  last  the  manner  of  Indrajit's  death :  Lakshman 
took  an  Indra  shaft,  and  making  an  act  of  truth,  he  prayed 
its  indwelling  deity:  "  If  Rama  be  righteous  and  truthful, 
the  first  of  all  men  in  heroism,  then  slay  this  son  of 
Ravana";  and  drawing  the  straight-speeding  arrow  to  his 
ear,  he  loosed  it,  and  it  severed  the  rakshasa's  neck,  that 
head  and  trunk  fell  to  the  ground,  and  all  the  rakshasas, 
seeing  their  leader  slain,  cast  down  their  arms  and  fled. 
And  all  the  monkeys  rejoiced,  for  no  rakshasa  hero  re- 
mained alive  save  Ravana  himself.  Then  Rama  welcomed 
the  wounded  Lakshman  with  great  affection,  and  ordered 
Sushena  to  administer  medicines  to  him  and  to  the  wounded 
monkeys ;  and  the  monkey-chief  applied  a  potent  drug  to 
Lakshman's  nose,  and,  smelling  it,  the  outward-going  of 
his  life  was  stayed,  and  he  was  healed. 
Bitterly  Ravana  grieved  for  his  son.  "  The  triple  worlds, 
and  this  earth  with  all  its  forests,  seem  to  me  vacant,"  he 
cried,  "since  thou,  my  hero,  hast  gone  to  the  abode  of 
Yama,  who  shouldst  have  performed  my  funeral  rites,  not 
I  thine  "  ;  and  he  burned  with  rage  and  sorrow.  Then  he 
determined  to  slay  Slta  in  revenge,  but  his  good  counsellor 
Suparshwa  held  him  back,  saying :  "  Thou  mayst  not  slay  a 
woman ;  but  when  Rama  is  slain  thou  shalt  possess  her." 
90 


Ravana's  Fury 

All  Lanka  was  resounding  with  the  lamentations  of  the 
rakshasls  for  the  rakshasas  slain  in  battle,  and  Ravana  sat 
in  fury,  devising  means  to  conquer  Rama  :  he  gnashed  his 
teeth  and  bit  his  lips  and  laughed,  and  went  with  Big- 
belly  and  Squint-eye  and  Great-flank  to  the  field  of  battle, 
followed  by  the  last  of  the  demon  army,  and  boasting :  "  I 
shall  make  an  end  of  Rama  and  Lakshman  to-day." 

Ravana's  Fury 

Nor  could  the  monkeys  stand  before  him,  but  were  de- 
stroyed like  flies  in  fire;  but  Sugriva  engaged  in  single 
fight  with  Squint-eye  and  made  an  end  of  him;  and 
therewith  both  armies  joined  again,  and  there  was  deadly 
slaughter  on  either  hand,  and  either  army  shrank  like  a 
pond  in  summer.  Next  Big-belly  was  slain  by  Sugriva, 
and  Angada  was  the  death  of  Great-flank,  so  that  the 
monkeys  roared  with  triumph.  But  now  Ravana  came  on, 
bearing  a  Brahma  weapon,  and  scattering  the  monkeys 
right  and  left. 

He  stayed  not  ere  he  came  to  the  sons  of  Dasharatha  :  he 
took  his  way  where  Rama  stood  aside,  with  great  eyes  like 
the  petals  of  a  lotus,  long  of  arm,  unconquerable,  holding 
a  bow  so  huge  it  seemed  to  be  painted  on  the  sky.  Rama 
set  arrows  to  the  bow  and  drew  the  string,  so  that  a 
thousand  rakshasas  died  of  terror  when  they  heard  it  twang; 
and  there  began  a  deadly  battle  between  the  heroes.  Those 
arrows  pierced  the  king  of  Lanka  like  five-hooded  serpents, 
and  fell  hissing  to  the  ground ;  but  Ravana  lifted  up  a 
dreadful  asura  weapon,  and  let  fly  at  Rama  a  shower  of 
arrows  having  lion-  and  tiger-faces,  and  some  with  gaping 
mouths  like  wolves.  Rama  answered  these  with  shafts 
faced  like  the  sun  and  stars,  like  meteors  or  lightning 
flashes,  destroying  the  shafts  of  Ravana.     Then  Ravana 

9i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <6f  Buddhists 

fought  with  other  celestial  weapons,  and  he  lifted  a  Rudra 
shaft,  irresistible  and  flaming,  hung  with  eight  noisy  bells, 
and  hurled  it  at  Vibhishana;  but  Lakshman  came  before 
it,  saving  Vibhishana  from  death.  Rama,  seeing  that 
weapon  falling  upon  Lakshman,  prayed  it :  "  Peace  be  to 
Lakshman  !  Be  thou  frustrated,  and  let  thy  energy  depart " ; 
but  the  blazing  dart  struck  Lakshman's  breast  and  laid  him 
low,  nor  could  any  monkey  draw  the  shaft  out  of  him. 
Rama  stooped  and  drew  it  forth  and  broke  it  in  twain, 
and  then,  albeit  grieved  out  of  measure  for  Lakshman 
and  angered  by  his  grief,  Rama  called  to  Hanuman 
and  Sugriva,  saying:  "Now  is  the  time  appointed  come 
at  last.  To-day  I  shall  accomplish  a  deed  of  which  all 
men  and  gods  and  every  world  shall  tell  as  long  as  the  earth 
supports  a  living  creature.  To-day  my  sorrow  shall  have 
an  end,  and  all  that  for  which  I  have  laboured  shall  come 
to  pass." 

Then  Rama  set  his  mind  upon  the  battle,  but  Hanuman 
went  again  to  Himalaya  and  brought  the  mount  of  healing 
herbs  for  Lakshman,  and  Sushena  took  the  life-giving 
plant  and  made  Lakshman  to  smell  its  savour,  so  that  he 
rose  up  whole  and  well;  and  Lakshman  embraced  his 
brother,  and  urged  him  to  achieve  his  promise  that  very 
day.  Sakra  sent  down  from  Heaven  his  car  and  his 
charioteer,  named  Matali,  to  aid  the  son  of  Dasharatha  in 
his  fight,  and  Rama  went  about  and  greeted  it,  and, 
mounting  upon  it,  seemed  to  light  the  whole  world  with 
his  splendour.  But  Ravana  loosed  at  him  a  rakshasa 
weapon,  and  its  golden  shafts,  with  fiery  faces  vomiting 
flames,  poured  over  Rama  from  every  side  and  changed  to 
venomous  serpents.  But  Rama  took  a  Garuda  weapon 
and  loosed  a  flight  of  golden  arrows,  changing  at  will  to 
birds,  and  devouring  all  the  serpent  arrows  of  the  rakshasa. 
92 


Ravana  Slain 

Then  the  presiding  deities  of  all  the  weapons  came  to 
stand  by  Rama,  and  what  with  this  auspicious  omen  and 
other  happy  signs,  Rama  began  to  harass  Ravana  sorely, 
and  wounded  him,  so  that  his  charioteer,  beholding  him  as  if 
at  the  point  of  death,  turned  away  from  the  field  of  battle. 
Then  the  revered  Agastya,  come  thither  with  the  gods  to 
witness  the  defeat  of  Ravana,  drew  near  to  Rama  and 
taught  him  :  "  Rama,  Rama,  great-armed  hero,  my  child, 
hearken  to  the  eternal  secret,  the  Heart  of  the  Sun,  whereby 
thou  mayst  overcome  every  foe.  Do  thou  worship  Sun, 
lord  of  the  world,  in  whom  dwells  the  spirit  of  all  the 
gods.  Hail!  Hail!  O  thousand-rayed,  hail  to  Aditya! 
Thou  wakener  of  the  lotus!  Thou  source  of  life  and 
death,  destroyer  of  all  darkness,  light  of  the  soul,  who 
wakest  when  all  sleep,  and  dwellest  in  every  heart !  Thou 
art  the  gods  and  every  sacrifice  and  the  fruits  thereof. 
Do  thou  worship  with  this  hymn  the  lord  of  the  universe, 
and  thou  shalt  conquer  Ravana  to-day." 

Ravana  Slain 

Then  Rama  hymned  the  Sun,  and  purified  himself  with 
water-sippings,  and  was  glad ;  and  he  turned  to  deal  with 
Ravana,  for  the  rakshasa  had  come  to  himself  again  and 
was  eager  for  the  battle.  Each  like  a  flaming  lion  fought 
the  other ;  head  after  head  of  the  Ten-necked  One  did 
Rama  cut  away  with  his  deadly  arrows,  but  new  heads 
ever  rose  in  place  of  those  cut  off,  and  Ravana's  death 
seemed  nowise  nearer  than  before — the  arrows  that  had 
slain  Maricha  and  Khara  and  Vali  could  not  take  the 
king  of  Lanka's  life  away.  Then  Rama  took  up  the 
Brahma  weapon  given  to  him  by  Agastya :  the  Wind  lay 
in  its  wings,  the  Sun  and  Fire  in  its  head,  in  its  mass  the 
weight  of  Meru  and  Mandara.     Blessing  that  shaft  with 

93 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Vedic  mantras,  Rama  set  it  on  his  bow  and  loosed  it,  and 
it  sped  to  its  appointed  place  and  cleft  the  breast  of 
Ravana,  and,  bathed  in  blood,  returned  and  entered  Rama's 
quiver  humbly. 

Thus  was  the  lord  of  the  rakshasas  slain,  and  the  gods 
rained  flowers  on  Rama's  car  and  chanted  hymns  of  praise, 
for  their  desired  end  was  now  accomplished — that  end  for 
which  alone  Vishnu  had  taken  human  form.  The  heavens 
were  at  peace,  the  air  grew  clear  and  bright,  and  the  sun 
shone  cloudless  on  the  field  of  battle. 

Ravana  Mourned 

But  Vibhishana  lamented  for  his  brother  sadly,  and 
Rama  comforted  him,  saying:  "A  hero  slain  in  battle 
should  not  be  mourned.  Success  in  battle  is  not  for  ever : 
why  shouldst  thou  grieve  that  one  who  put  to  flight  Indra 
himself  should  fall  at  last  ?  Do  thou  rather  perform  his 
funeral  rites.  Take  comfort,  too,  at  this  :  with  death  our 
enmity  is  ended,  and  Ravana  is  as  dear  to  me  as  thee." 
Then  there  issued  out  of  Lanka  a  host  of  weeping  rakshasis, 
seeking  their  lord  and  wailing  bitterly ;  and  Mandodarl 
made  this  lament : 

"  O  thou  great-armed,  younger  brother  of  Vaisravana, 
who  could  stand  before  thee  ?  Gods  and  rishis  thou  hast 
daunted  ;  not  to  be  borne  is  it  that  a  man,  fighting  on  foot, 
hath  slain  thee  now  !  But  thy  death  has  come  to  pass 
because  of  Slta,  and  I  am  a  widow.  Thou  didst  not  heed 
my  words,  nor  didst  thou  think  how  many  fairer  damsels 
thou  hadst  than  her.  Alas  1  how  fair  thou  wert  and  how 
kind  thy  smile :  now  thou  art  bathed  in  blood  and  pierced 
with  shafts  !  Thou  wert  wont  to  sleep  on  a  couch  of  gold  ; 
but  now  thou  liest  in  the  dust.  Why  dost  thou  fare  away 
and  leave  me  alone  ?  Why  dost  thou  not  welcome  me  ?  "  But 

94 


Slta  brought  to  Rama 

the  other  wives  of  Ravana  consoled  her  and  lifted  her  up, 
saying :  "  Life  is  uncertain  for  all,  and  all  things  change." 
Meanwhile  Vibhishana  made  ready  the  funeral  pyre,  and 
Ravana  was  taken  to  the  burning-ground  and  burnt  with 
every  rite  and  honour  due  to  heroes.  Ravana' s  wives 
returned  to  Lanka,  and  the  gods  departed  to  their  own 
place.  Then  Lakshman,  taking  water  brought  from  the 
ocean  by  Sugriva  in  a  golden  jar,  anointed  Vibhishana  as 
lord  of  the  city  of  Lanka  and  king  of  the  rakshasas,  and 
thereat  the  monkeys  and  rakshasas  both  rejoiced. 

Slta  brought  to  Rama 

But  now  Rama  called  Hanuman  to  him,  and  sent  him  to 
search  for  Slta  and  inform  her  of  all  that  had  befallen ;  and  he 
found  her  still  by  the  Asoka  tree,  guarded  by  rakshasls. 
Hanuman  stood  before  her  humbly  and  told  his  tale,  and 
she  gave  him  the  message :  "  I  desire  to  behold  my  lord." 
Then  the  radiant  monkey  came  to  Rama  and  gave  him 
Slta's  message.  Rama  wept  thereat  and  was  plunged  in 
thought,  and  with  a  heavy  sigh  he  said  to  Vibhishana : 
"Do  thou  bring  Slta  hither  quickly,  bathed  and  fitly 
adorned  with  sandal-paste  and  jewels."  He  repaired  to 
her  and  gave  her  Rama's  command ;  she  would  have  gone 
to  him  unbathed.  "  But  thou  shouldst  do  according  to  thy 
lord's  word,"  he  said.  "  So  be  it,"  she  replied,  and  when 
she  had  made  her  ready,  worthy  bearers  brought  her  on  a 
palanquin  to  Rama.  Rama,  beholding  her  who  had  long 
been  the  prisoner  of  Ravana,  and  overcome  with  sorrow, 
was  stricken  at  once  with  fury,  joy,  and  grief.  "  O  lord  of 
rakshasas,  O  gentle  king,"  said  he  to  Vibhishana,  "  do  thou 
bring  Slta  near  to  me."  Then  Vibhishana  drove  away  the 
crowd  of  monkeys,  bears,  and  rakshasas,  and  the  atten- 
dants with  canes  and  drums  roughly  hustled  the  assembled 

95 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

host.  But  Rama  bade  them  desist,  and  ordered  that  Slta 
should  leave  her  palanquin  and  come  to  him  on  foot,  saying 
to  Vibhishana :  "Thou  shouldst  rather  comfort  than  harass 
these  our  own  folk.  No  sin  is  there  when  women  are  seen 
abroad  in  time  of  war  or  danger,  at  an  own-choice,1  or  at 
marriage.  Slta  is  in  danger  now,  and  there  can  be  no  wrong 
in  seeing  her,  the  more  so  as  I  am  here  to  guard  her." 
Vibhishana,  cast  down  at  that  rebuke,  brought  Slta  humbly 
up  to  Rama ;  and  she  stood  shamefast,  hiding  as  it  were  her 
true  self  in  her  outward  shape,  beholding  Rama's  face  with 
wonder,  joy,  and  love.  At  the  sight  of  him  her  sorrow 
vanished,  and  she  shone  radiant  like  the  moon. 
But  Rama,  seeing  her  stand  humbly  near  him,  could  no 
more  hold  back  his  speech,  and  cried :  "  O  gentle  one,  I 
have  subdued  thy  foe  and  wiped  away  the  stain  upon  my 
honour.  The  work  of  Hanuman,  in  crossing  the  deep  and 
harrying  Lanka ;  of  Sugriva,  with  his  army  and  his  counsel ; 
and  of  Vibhishana,  hath  borne  its  fruit,  and  I  have  fulfilled 
my  promise,  by  my  own  might  accomplishing  the  duty  of 
a  man."  Then  Slta  looked  on  Rama  sadly,  like  a  deer,  with 
tear-filled  eyes;  and  Rama,  seeing  her  so  near,  but  be- 
thinking him  of  honour  in  the  sight  of  men,  was  torn  in 
twain.  "  I  have  wiped  away  the  insult  to  our  family  and 
to  myself,"  said  he,  "  but  thou  art  stained  by  dwelling  with 
another  than  myself.  What  man  of  high  degree  receives 
back  a  wife  who  hath  lived  long  in  another's  house? 
Ravan  has  held  thee  on  his  lap  and  gazed  on  thee  with 
lustful  eyes.  I  have  avenged  his  evil  deed,  but  I  am  un- 
attached to  thee.  O  gentle  one,  I  am  forced  by  a  sense  of 
honour  to  renounce  thee,  for  how  should  Ravana  have 
overlooked  thee,  so  fair  and  dainty  as  thou  art,  when  he 

1  Swayamvara,  choice  of  a  husband  from  assembled  suitors  :  see  the 

story  of  Nala  and  DamayantI,  page  356. 

96 


Sita's  Ordeal 

had  thee  at  his  will?  Do  thou  choose  what  home  thou 
wilt,  whether  with  Lakshman,  or  Bharata,  or  Sugriva,  or 
with  Vibhishana." 

Then  Sita,  hearing  that  cruel  speech  of  Rama,  little  like 
his  wonted  words,  trembled  like  a  swaying  vine,  and  wept 
with  heavy  tears,  and  she  was  ashamed  before  that  great 
assembly.  But  she  wiped  the  tears  from  her  face,  and 
answered  him :  "  Ah,  why  dost  thou  speak  thus  roughly 
and  unkindly?  Seeing  the  ways  of  other  women,  thou 
wilt  trust  in  none !  But,  O  thou  long-armed  hero,  I  am 
my  own  sufficient  witness  to  my  purity.  It  was  not  with 
my  consent  that  another  touched  my  person.  My  body 
was  not  in  my  power ;  but  my  heart,  that  lies  under  my 
own  sway,  is  set  on  thee  alone.  O  thou  my  lord  and  source 
of  honour,  our  affection  increased  by  living  continually 
together  for  a  long  time;  and  now,  if  thou  dost  not  know 
my  faithfulness,  I  am  undone  for  ever.  O  king,  why  didst 
thou  not  renounce  me  when  Hanuman  came  ?  Then  would  I 
have  given  up  my  life,  and  thou  needst  not  have  undertaken 
all  thy  labour,  nor  laid  a  burden  on  thy  friends.  Thou  art 
angered ;  like  a  common  man  thou  seest  naught  in  me  but 
womanhood.  I  am  called  the  daughter  of  Janaka,  but,  in 
sooth,  I  was  born  of  Earth ;  thou  knowest  not  my  true  self." 
Then  Sita  turned  to  Lakshman,  and  said  with  faltering 
speech :  "  O  son  of  Sumitra,  build  me  a  funeral  pyre ; 
therein  is  my  only  refuge.  Branded-  with  an  undeserved 
stigma,  I  will  not  live."  Lakshman,  wrought  with  grief 
and  anger,  turned  to  Rama,  and  in  obedience  to  his  ges- 
ture he  prepared  the  funeral  pyre. 

Sftas  Ordeal 

Then  Sita,  circumambulating  Rama,  standing  with  down- 
cast   eyes,  approached    the  fire;  with  folded   hands  she 

g  97 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

stood  and  prayed :  "  Inasmuch  as  my  heart  has  never  turned 
from  Rama,  do  thou,  O  Fire,  all  men's  witness,  guard 
me  ;  since  Rama  casts  me  away  as  stained,  who  in  sooth 
am  stainless,  do  thou  be  my  refuge."  Then  Sita  went 
about  the  pyre  and  entered  the  burning  flames,  so  that 
all,  both  young  and  old,  assembled  there  were  overcome 
with  grief,  and  the  noise  of  uttermost  wailing  and  lamen- 
tation arose  on  every  hand. 

Rama  stayed  immovable  and  rapt ;  but  the  gods  came  down 
to  Lanka  in  their  shining  cars  and,  folding  their  hands, 
prayed  Rama  to  relent.  "  Thou  that  dost  protect  the 
worlds,  why  dost  thou  renounce  the  daughter  of  Janaka, 
leaving  her  to  choose  the  death  by  fire?  How  can  it  be 
thou  knowest  not  what  thyself  art?  Thou  wast  in  the 
beginning,  and  shalt  be  at  the  end :  thou  art  first  of  all 
the  gods,  thyself  the  grandsire  and  creator.  Why  dost 
thou  treat  Sita  after  the  fashion  of  a  mere  man?"  said 
they.  To  whom  Rama  replied :  "  I  know  myself  only  as 
a  man,  Rama,  the  son  of  Dasharatha ;  now  let  the  grand- 
sire  tell  me  who  I  am  and  whence  I  came." 
Then  Brahma  answered :  "  Hearken,  thou  whose  virtue 
lies  in  truth  !  O  Lord,  thou  art  Narayana,  bearing  disc  and 
mace;  thou  art  the  one-tusked  boar;  thou  goest  beyond 
the  past,  the  present,  and  the  future ;  thine  is  the  bow  of 
Time;  thou  art  creation  and  destruction;  thou  art  the 
slayer  of  all  enemies,  thou  the  forgiveness  and  control  of 
passions ;  thou  art  the  refuge  of  all  gods  and  hermits  ; 
thou  art  manifest  in  every  creature,  in  cows  and  Brahmans, 
in  every  quarter,  in  sky  and  river  and  mountain-peak  ;  a 
thousand  limbs,  a  thousand  eyes,  a  thousand  heads  are 
thine ;  thy  heart  am  I,  thy  tongue  Sarasvati ;  the  closing 
of  thy  eye  is  night,  its  opening  day :  Sita  is  Lakshmi  and 
thou  Vishnu  and  Krishna.  And,  O  Rama,  now  Ravana  is 
98 


Visions  of  the  Gods 

slain,  do  thou  ascend  to  Heaven,  thy  work  accomplished. 
Naught  shall  they  lack  whose  hearts  are  set  on  thee,  nor 
fail  who  chant  thy  lay." 

Then  Fire,  hearing  those  happy  words,  rose  up  with  Slta 
on  his  lap,  radiant  as  the  morning  sun,  with  golden  jewels 
and  black  curling  hair,  and  he  gave  her  back  to  Rama, 
saying:  "O  Rama,  here  is  thy  Slta,  whom  no  stain  has 
touched.  Not  in  word  or  thought  or  look  has  Slta  turned 
aside  from  thee.  Albeit  tempted  every  way,  she  did  not 
think  of  Ravana  even  in  her  inmost  heart.  As  she  is 
spotless,  do  thou  take  her  back."  Rama,  staying  silent 
for  a  while,  with  shining  eyes  pondered  the  speech  of 
Agni ;  then  he  answered :  "  Because  this  fair  one  dwelt 
long  time  in  Ravana's  house,  she  needed  vindication 
before  the  assembled  folk.  Had  I  taken  her  unproved,  the 
people  would  complain  that  Rama,  son  of  King  Dasha- 
ratha,  was  moved  by  desire,  and  set  at  naught  social  law. 
I  know  well  that  Slta's  heart  is  set  on  me  alone,  and  that 
her  own  virtue  was  her  sufficient  refuge  from  the  assaults 
of  Ravana  ;  she  is  mine  as  the  sun's  rays  are  the  sun's. 
I  can  no  more  renounce  her,  but  rather  it  behoves  me 
to  obey  your  happy  words."  Thus  the  glorious  son  of 
Dasharatha  regained  his  bride,  and  his  heart  was  glad. 

Visions  of  the  Gods 

But  now  Shiva  took  up  the  word,  and  revealed  to  Rama 
his  father  Dasharatha  stationed  on  a  shining  car  amongst 
the  gods,  and  Rama  and  Lakshman  bowed  to  him ;  and  he, 
beholding  his  dearest  son,  took  Rama  on  his  lap,  and 
spake :  "  Even  in  heaven  amongst  the  gods  I  am  not  happy, 
lacking  thee.  I  call  to  mind  even  now  Kaikeyl's  word, 
and  thou  hast  redeemed  my  pledge  and  freed  me  from 
every  debt.     Now  I  have  heard  that  thou  art  the  primal 

99 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

male  incarnate  for  the  compassing  of  Ravana's  death. 
Kaushalya  shall  be  glad  to  see  thee  return  victorious. 
Blessed  are  those  that  shall  behold  thee  installed  as  Lord 
of  Ayodhya !  Thy  term  of  exile  is  ended.  Do  thou  rule 
with  thy  brothers  now  in  Ayodhya  and  have  long  life ! " 
Then  Rama  prayed  his  father:  "Do  thou  now  forgive 
Kaikeyl,  and  take  back  thy  dreadful  curse  wherewith  thou 
didst  renounce  her  and  her  son."  Then  Dasharatha  said : 
"  So  be  it,"  ;  and  to  Lakshman :  "  May  good  befall  thee,  thou 
truth  and  honour,  and  thou  shalt  attain  a  lofty  place  in 
heaven.  Do  thou  attend  on  Rama,  whom  all  the  gods 
adore  with  folded  hands."  And  to  Slta  he  said  :  "  Thou 
shouldst  not  feel  resentment  forasmuch  as  Rama  renounced 
thee ;  for  thy  welfare  it  was  done.  Now  hast  thou  attained 
a  glory  hard  to  be  won  by  women !  Thou  knowest  well 
the  duty  of  a  wife.  It  needs  not  for  me  to  tell  thee  that 
thy  husband  is  thy  very  god,"  Then  Dasharatha  in  his 
car  returned  to  Indra's  heaven. 

Next  Indra,  standing  before  Rama,  with  folded  hands 
addressed  him,  saying  :  "  O  Rama,  first  of  men,  it  may  not 
be  for  naught  that  we  are  come  to  thee.  Do  thou  pray  for 
such  a  boon  as  thou  desirest."  Then  Rama  spoke,  de- 
lighted :  "  O  Lord  of  Heaven  and  foremost  of  the  eloquent, 
do  thou  grant  me  this,  that  all  the  monkeys  slain  in  battle 
return  to  life  and  see  again  their  wives  and  children.  Do 
thou  restore  those  bears  and  monkeys  that  fought  for  me 
and  laboured  hard  and  recked  nothing  of  death.  And  let 
there  be  flowers  and  fruits  and  roots  for  them,  and  rivers 
of  clear  water,  even  out  of  season,  wherever  they  may  go." 
And  Indra  granted  that  great  boon,  so  that  a  host  of 
monkeys  rose  up,  asking  like  wakened  sleepers:  "What 
has  happened?"  Then  the  gods,  once  more  addressing 
Rama,  said :  "  Do  thou  return  to  Ayodhya,  sending  the 
ioo 


Rama's  Return 

monkeys  on  their  way.  Comfort  Sita,  seek  out  thy 
brother  Bharata,  and,  being  installed  as  king,  do  thou 
bestow  good  fortune  on  every  citizen."  Therewith  the 
gods  departed,  and  the  happy  army  made  their  camp. 

Rama's  Return 

When  morning  dawned,  Rama,  taking  the  car  Pushpaka, 
given  to  him  by  Vibhishana,  stood  ready  to  depart.  Self- 
moving  was  that  car,  and  it  was  very  fairly  painted  and 
large;  two  stories  it  had,  and  windows  and  flags  and 
banners  and  many  chambers,  and  it  gave  forth  a  melo- 
dious sound  as  it  coursed  along  the  airy  way.  Then 
said  Vibhishana :  "What  more  may  I  do?"  and  Rama 
answered :  "  Do  thou  content  these  bears  and  monkeys 
who  have  accomplished  my  affair  with  divers  jewels  and 
wealth;  then  shall  they  fare  to  their  homes.  And  do  thou 
rule  as  one  who  is  righteous,  self-controlled,  compassionate, 
a  just  collector  of  revenues,  that  all  may  be  attached  to 
thee."  Then  Vibhishana  bestowed  wealth  on  all  the  host, 
and  Rama  was  taking  leave  of  all  the  bears  and  monkeys 
and  of  Vibhishana ;  but  they  cried  out :  "  We  wish  to  go 
with  thee  to  Ayodhya."  Then  Rama  invited  them  gladly, 
and  Sueriva  and  Vibhishana  and  all  the  host  mounted 
the  mighty  car;  and  the  car  rose  up  into  the  sky,  drawn 
by  golden  geese,  and  sailed  on  its  airy  way,  while  the 
monkeys,  bears,  and  rakshasas  took  their  ease. 
But  when  they  passed  by  the  city  of  Kishkindha,  Sugriva's 
capital,  Sita  prayed  Rama  to  take  with  him  to  Ayodhya 
Tara,  the  wife  of  Sugriva,  and  the  wives  of  other  monkey- 
chiefs  ;  and  he  stayed  the  car  while  Sugriva  brought  Tara 
and  the  wives  of  other  monkeys.  And  they  mounted  and 
set  forth  towards  Ayodhya.  They  passed  across  Chitra- 
kuta  and  Jamna  and  the  Ganges  where  it  divides  in  three, 

IOI 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

and  at  last  beheld  Ayodhya,  and  bowed  to  her  ;  and  all  the 
bears  and  monkeys  and  Vibhishana  rose  up  in  delight  to 
see  her,  shining  fair  as  Amaravati,  the  capital  of  Indra. 
It  was  the  fifth  day  after  the  last  of  fourteen  years  of  exile 
when  Rama  greeted  the  hermit  Bharadwaja,  and  from  him 
learnt  that  Bharata  awaited  his  return,  leading  a  hermit's 
life  and  honouring  the  sandals.  And  Bharadwaja  gave 
him  a  boon,  that  the  trees  along  the  road  to  Ayodhya 
should  bear  flowers  and  fruit  as  he  went,  even  though  out 
of  season.  And  so  it  was  that  for  three  leagues,  from 
Bharadwaja's  hermitage  to  Ayodhya's  gate,  the  trees  bore 
flowers  and  fruits,  and  the  monkeys  thought  themselves  in 
heaven.  But  Hanuman  was  sent  in  advance  to  bring  back 
tidings  from  Ayodhya  and  Bharata,  and  speedily  he  went, 
in  human  form.  He  came  to  Bharata  in  his  hermitage 
garbed  as  a  yogi,  thin  and  worn,  but  radiant  as  a  mighty 
sage,  and  ruling  the  earth  as  viceroy  of  the  sandals. 
Then  Hanuman  related  to  him  all  that  had  befallen  Rama 
since  the  brothers  parted  in  Chitrakuta,  and  Bharata's 
heart  was  filled  with  gladness,  and  he  gave  orders  to 
prepare  the  city  and  to  worship  all  the  gods  with  music 
and  flowers,  and  that  all  the  people  should  come  forth  to 
welcome  Rama.  The  roads  were  watered  and  the  flags 
hoisted,  and  the  city  was  filled  with  the  sound  of  cavalry 
and  cars  and  elephants.  Then  Rama  came,  and  Bharata 
worshipped  him  and  bathed  his  feet  and  humbly  greeted 
him;  but  Rama  lifted  him  up  and  took  him  in  his  arms. 
Then  Bharata  bowed  to  Slta,  and  welcomed  Lakshman, 
and  embraced  the  monkey-chiefs,  naming  Sugriva  "our 
fifth  brother";  and  he  praised  Vibhishana. 
Then  Rama  came  to  his  mother  and  humbly  touched  her 
feet,  and  he  made  salutation  to  the  priests.  Next 
Bharata  brought  the  sandals  and  laid  them  at  Rama's 
102 


IX 

THE  RETURN  OF  RAMA 

K.  Venkatappa 

Page   I 02 


1 


Rama  installed  with  SIta 

feet,  and  with  folded  hands  he  said:  "All  this,  thy 
kingdom,  that  thou  didst  entrust  to  me,  I  now  return : 
behold,  thy  wealth  of  treasure,  palace,  and  army  is  tenfold 
multiplied."  Then  placing  his  brother  on  his  lap,  Rama 
fared  on  to  Bharata's  hermitage,  and  there  descending, 
Rama  spake  to  the  good  car :  "  Do  thou  return  to  Vaish- 
ravan — I  grant  thee  leave."  For  that  self-coursing  car 
had  been  taken  by  Ravana  from  his  elder  brother;  but 
now  at  Rama's  word  it  returned  to  the  God  of  Wealth. 

Rama  installed  with  Sitd 

Then  Bharata  restored  the  kingdom  to  his  brother,  saying : 
"Let  the  world  behold  thee  to-day  installed,  like  the 
radiant  midday  sun.  None  but  thou  can  bear  the  heavy 
burden  of  an  empire  such  as  ours.  Do  thou  no  more  dwell 
in  lonely  places,  but  sleep  and  rise  to  the  sound  of  music 
and  the  tinkle  of  women's  anklets.  Do  thou  rule  the 
people  as  long  as  the  sun  endures  and  as  far  as  earth 
extends."  And  Rama  said  :  "  So  be  it." 
Then  skilful  barbers  came,  and  Rama  and  Lakshman 
bathed  and  were  shorn  of  their  matted  locks  and  dressed 
in  shining  robes ;  and  Dasharatha's  queens  attended  Slta 
and  decked  her  in  splendid  jewels,  while  Kaushalya  decked 
the  monkeys'  wives,  and  the  priests  gave  orders  for  the 
coronation.  Then  Rama  mounted  a  car  driven  by  Bharata, 
and  Satrughna  held  the  umbrella,  and  Lakshman  waved  a 
chowry  and  Vibhishana  another.  Sugriva  rode  on  an 
elephant,  and  the  other  monkeys  followed  riding  on 
elephants  to  the  number  of  nine  thousand,  and  with  music 
and  the  noise  of  conchs  the  lord  of  men  entered  his  own 
city.  Four  golden  jars  were  given  to  Hanuman  and 
Jamba  van  and  Vegadarshi  and  Rishabha  to  fetch  pure 
water  from  the  four  oceans,  and  they  rose  into  the  sky  and 

103 


Myth; 


is  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

brought  the  holy  water  from  the  utmost  bounds  of  ocean, 
north  and  south  and  east  and  west.  Then  Vashishtha, 
setting  Rama  and  Slta  upon  their  golden  throne,  sprinkled 
that  first  of  men  and  consecrated  him  as  king  of  Ayodhya. 
Thereat  the  gods  rejoiced,  and  the  gandharvas  sang 
and  the  apsaras  danced  ;  the  earth  was  filled  with 
crops,  the  trees  bore  fruit  and  flowers,  and  all  men 
were  glad  and  merry.  And  Rama  conferred  upon  the 
Brahmans  gifts  of  gold  and  ornaments,  and  cows  and 
horses ;  to  Angada  he  gave  a  golden  jewelled  chain 
such  as  are  worn  by  the  gods,  and  to  Slta  a  necklace  of 
matchless  pearls  and  other  ornaments  and  splendid  robes. 
But  she,  holding  the  pearls  in  her  hand,  glanced  at  her 
lord,  and  from  him  to  Hanuman,  remembering  his  goodly 
service ;  and  Rama,  reading  her  wish,  granted  her  leave, 
and  she  gave  the  necklace  to  Hanuman.  And  the  Wind- 
god's  son,  exemplar  of  energy,  renown,  capacity,  humility, 
and  courage,  wearing  that  garland,  shone  like  a  mountain 
illumined  by  the  moon  and  fleecy  clouds.  And  to  every 
other  hero  Rama  gave  due  gifts  of  jewels  and  wealth. 
Then  Sugriva  and  Hanuman  and  Jambavan,  with  all  the 
host,  returned  to  their  own  homes,  and  Vibhishana  repaired 
to  Lanka ;  but  Rama  governed  Ayodhya,  and  in  his  time 
men  lived  for  a  thousand  years,  and  due  rains  fell,  and  the 
winds  were  ever  favourable,  and  there  was  no  distress  from 
sickness  or  from  wild  beasts  or  from  invasion,  but  all  men 
were  glad  and  merry. 

Rama  Reigns 

Then,  while  Rama  sat  on  the  throne,  all  the  great  hermits 

came  to  visit  him  who  had  regained  his  kingdom.  They  came 

from  east  and  west  and  north  and  south,  led  by  Agastya, 

and   Rama  worshipped  them    and    appointed    for    them 

104 


Hanuman  Rewarded 

splendid  seats  of  sacrificial  grass  and  gold-embroidered 
deer-skin.  Then  the  sages  praised  Rama's  fortune,  espe- 
cially inasmuch  as  he  had  slain  Ravana's  son,  mightier 
than  Ravana  himself,  and  had  delivered  men  and  gods 
from  fear.  Then  Rama  questioned  the  sages  about  the 
former  history  of  Ravana  and  Ravana's  son,  and  they 
related  to  him  at  length  the  story  of  the  rakshasas'  origin — 
how  they  had  come  to  Lanka ;  how  Ravana,  Kumbhakarna, 
and  Vibhishana  had  won  each  a  boon  from  the  grandsire ; 
what  evil  deeds  had  been  done  by  Ravana ;  and  how  the 
gods  had  appointed  Vishnu  to  take  human  form  to  achieve 
his  death.  Likewise  they  told  of  the  origin  and  deeds  of 
the  monkeys  Vali  and  Sugriva  and  Hanuman.  "And, 
O  Rama!"  they  said,  "in  the  golden  age  the  demon 
sought  to  fight  with  thee ;  for  those  whom  the  gods 
destroy  go  to  the  heaven  of  the  gods  till  they  are  born 
again  on  earth  ;  those  whom  Vishnu  slays  go  to  Vishnu's 
heaven,  so  that  his  very  wrath  is  a  blessing.  And  it  was 
for  this  that  Ravana  stole  Sita  away  and  thou  didst 
assume  a  human  form  for  his  destruction,  O  great  one, 
know  that  thou  art  Narayana :  do  thou  recollect  thyself. 
Thou  art  the  eternal  Vishnu,  and  Sita  is  Lakshmi." 
Rama  himself  and  all  the  assembled  folk — Rama's 
brothers,  the  monkey-chiefs,  the  rakshasas  under  Vibhi- 
shana, the  vassal  kings,  and  the  Brahmans,  Kshatriyas, 
Vaishyas,  and  Shudras  of  Ayodhya — marvelled  at  the  words 
of  the  great  sages ;  and  Agastya  took  leave  of  Rama  and 
departed,  and  night  fell. 

Hanuman  Rewarded 

The  monkeys  dwelt  at  Ayodhya  more  than  a  month,  feast- 
ing on  honey  and  well-cooked  meats  and  fruits  and  roots, 
though  it  seemed  to  them  but  a  moment,  because  of  their 

105 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

devotion  toward  Rama.  Then  the  time  came  for  them 
to  go  to  their  own  city,  and  Rama  embraced  them  all  with 
affection  and  gave  them  goodly  gifts.  But  Hanuman 
bowed  and  begged  this  boon,  that  he  might  ever  be 
devoted  to  Rama  alone,  and  that  he  might  live  on  earth 
so  long  as  the  story  of  Rama's  deeds  was  told  of  amongst 
men ;  and  Rama  granted  it,  and  took  from  his  own  neck  a 
jewelled  chain  and  put  it  upon  Hanuman.  One  by  one 
the  monkeys  came  and  touched  the  feet  of  Rama,  and 
then  went  their  way;  but  they  wept  for  sorrow  of  leaving 
him. 

Si  fa's  Second  Trial 

Then  Rama  governed  Ayodhya  for  ten  thousand  years  ; 
and  at  length  it  came  to  pass  that  Slta  had  conceived. 
Then  Rama  asked  her  if  she  had  any  longing,  and  she 
replied  that  she  desired  to  visit  the  hermitages  of  the 
sages  by  the  Ganges;  and  Rama  said:  "So  be  it";  and 
the  visit  was  fixed  for  the  morrow. 

The  same  night  it  happened  that  Rama  was  engaged  in 
converse  with  his  counsellors  and  friends,  and  he  asked 
them :  "  What  do  the  citizens  and  countrymen  say  of  Slta 
and  my  brothers  and  Kaikeyl  ?  "  And  one  replied  that 
they  spoke  often  of  Rama's  great  conquest  of  Ravana. 
But  Rama  pressed  for  more  definite  reports,  and  a 
counsellor  replied :  "  The  people  do  indeed  speak  of  thy 
great  deeds  and  thy  alliance  with  the  bears  and  monkeys 
and  rakshasas ;  but  they  murmur  inasmuch  as  thou  hast 
taken  Slta  back,  albeit  she  was  touched  by  Ravana  and 
dwelt  long  time  in  his  city  of  Lanka.  For  all  that,  they  say, 
thou  dost  still  acknowledge  her.  '  Now  we,  too,  will  pass 
over  the  misdoings  of  our  wives,  for  subjects  always  follow 
the  customs  of  their  king.'  Such,  O  king,  is  the  talk." 
1 06 


Sita's  Second  Trial 

Then  Rama's  heart  sank,  and  he  sent  away  the  coun- 
sellors and  sent  for  his  brothers,  and  they  came  and 
stood  by  him  with  folded  hands  and  touched  his  feet. 
But  they  saw  that  he  was  heavy-hearted  and  that  his  eyes 
were  full  of  tears,  and  waited  anxiously  for  him  to 
speak.  Then  Rama  told  them  what  he  had  learnt.  "  I  am 
crushed  by  these  slanders,"  he  said,  "  for  I  am  of  an 
illustrious  family,  and  Slta  is  no  less  nobly  born.  And 
Slta,  to  prove  her  innocence,  submitted  to  ordeal  by  fire 
before  you  all,  and  Fire  and  Wind  and  all  the  gods 
declared  her  stainless.  Even  now  my  heart  knows  her 
to  be  blameless.  But  the  censure  of  the  folk  has  pierced 
me :  ill  is  ill-fame  for  such  as  I,  and  preferable  were  death 
than  this  disgrace.  Do  thou,  therefore,  Lakshman,  make 
no  question,  but  take  Slta  with  thee  to-morrow  to  Valmiki's 
hermitage  beside  the  Ganges,  as  if  fulfilling  the  desire  she 
spoke  of  even  now  ;  and  by  my  life  and  arms,  do  ye  not 
seek  to  move  me  from  this,  lest  I  deem  you  to  be  my  foes." 
And  Rama's  eyes  were  full  of  tears,  and  he  went  to  his 
own  apartment  sighing  like  a  wounded  elephant. 
The  next  morning  Lakshman  brought  a  goodly  car  and 
came  to  Slta,  saying  :  "  Rama  hath  commanded  me  to 
take  thee  to  the  hermitages  by  the  Ganges  in  accordance 
with  thy  wish."  Then  Slta,  taking  costly  gifts  with  her, 
mounted  the  car  most  eagerly.  On  the  second  day  they 
came  to  the  Ganges  bank,  whose  water  takes  away  all 
sin;  but  Lakshman  stood  and  wept  aloud.  Then  Slta 
asked  him  why  he  wept.  "  For,"  she  said,  "it  is  but  two 
days  since  thou  didst  see  Rama :  he  is  dearer  to  me  than 
life,  but  I  am  not  so  sad  as  thou.  Do  thou  take  me 
across  the  river  to  visit  the  hermits  there  and  present  my 
gifts,  and  then  shall  we  return ;  and,  indeed,  I  am  eager 
to  see  my  lord  again,  whose  eyes  are  like  the  petals  of  the 

107 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

lotus,  the  lion-breast,  the  first  of  men."     So  Lakshman  sent 
for  boatmen,   and    they  went  across.      When    they  were 
come  to  the  other   side,   Lakshman  stood  by  Slta  with 
folded  hands  and  prayed    her  to  forgive  him    and   not 
deem  him  at  fault,  saving :  "  This  is  a  matter  too  sore  for 
words,  so  I  but  tell  thee  openly  that  Rama  now  renounces 
thee,  inasmuch  as  the  citizens  have  spoken  against  thee; 
he  has  commanded  me  to  leave  thee  here,  as  if  in  satisfac- 
tion of  thy  own  desire.     But  do  not  grieve,  for  well  I 
know  that  thou  art  guiltless,  and  thou  mayst  dwell  with 
Valmlki,  our  father's  friend.     Do  thou  remember  Rama 
always  and   serve  the  gods,  so  mayst    thou   be   blest ! " 
Then  Slta  fell  down  fainting ;  but  she  came  to  herself  and 
complained  bitterly:  "  Alas  !     I  must  have  greatly  sinned 
in  a  past  life  to  be  thus  divided  from  my  lord,  though 
blameless.     O   Lakshman,  formerly  it  was  no   hardship 
for  me  to  live  in  the  forest,  for  I  was  able  to  be  Rama's 
servant.     But  how  can  I  live  there  all  alone  now,   and 
what  reply  can  I  make  to  those  who  ask  what  sin  I  have 
committed  to  be  banished  thus  ?    I  would  fain  be  drowned 
in  these  waters,  but  I  may  not  bring  about  the  destruction 
of  my  lord's  race.     Do  thou  as  Rama  has  ordered,  but 
take  this  message  from   me  to  him  :  '  Thou  knowest,  O 
Rama,  that  I  am  unstained    and  devoted  utterly  to  thee. 
I  understand  that  it  is  for  the  avoiding  of  ill-fame  that 
thou  dost  renounce  me,  and  it  is  my  duty  to  serve  thee 
even  in  this.     A  husband  is  a  woman's  god,  her  friend  and 
guru.     I  do  not  grieve  for  what  befalls  me,  but  because 
the  people  have  spoken  ill  of  me.'     Do  thou  go  and  tell 
these   things  to  Rama."      Then   Lakshman  crossed    the 
river  again  and  came  to  Ayodhya ;  but  Slta  went  to  and 
fro  without  any  refuge  and  began  to  cry  aloud.      Then 
Valmlki's  sons  found  her  there,  and  Valmlki  came  to  the 
108 


Sita's  Second  Trial 

river-side  and  comforted  her,  and  brought  her  to  the 
hermitage  and  crave  her  to  the  hermits'  wives  to  cherish 
with  affection. 

Lakshman  found  his  brother  sunk  in  grief  and  with  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears,  and  he  was  sorry,  and  touched  his 
feet  and  stood  with  folded  hands,  and  said :  "  O  sire,  I 
have  done  all  that  thou  didst  command,  and  have  left  that 
peerless  lady  at  Valmlki's  hermitage.  Thou  shouldst  not 
grieve  therefor;  for  such  is  the  work  of  time,  whereat 
the  wise  grieve  not.  Where  there  is  growth  there  is 
decay ;  where  there  is  prosperity  there  is  also  ruin ; 
where  there  is  birth  there  must  be  also  death.  Therefore, 
attachment  to  wife,  or  sons,  or  friends,  or  wealth  is  wrong, 
for  separation  is  certain.  Nor  shouldst  thou  give  way  to 
grief  before  the  folk,  lest  they  blame  thee  again." 
Then  Rama  was  comforted,  and  praised  the  words  and 
love  of  Lakshman ;  and  he  sent  for  the  priests  and 
counsellors  who  waited,  and  occupied  himself  again  with 
the  affairs  of  state.  But  none  had  come  that  day  for  any 
affair,  for  in  Rama's  time  there  was  no  disease  or  poverty, 
and  none  sought  redress.  But  as  Lakshman  went  away  he 
saw  a  dog,  that  waited  by  the  gate  and  barked,  and  he 
asked  it  what  was  its  affair.  Then  the  dog  replied :  "  I 
wish  to  tell  it  to  Rama  himself,  who  is  the  refuge  of  all 
creatures,  and  proclaims  'Fear  nothing'  to  them  all." 
So  Lakshman  returned  to  Rama  and  informed  him,  and 
Rama  sent  for  the  dog  to  come  to  him.  But  the  dog 
would  not  go  in,  saying  :  "We  are  the  vilest  born,  and  we 
may  not  enter  the  houses  of  gods  or  kings  or  Brahmans." 
Then  Lakshman  took  this  message  also  to  Rama ;  but  he 
sent  aeain  for  the  doe  and  crave  him  leave  to  enter,  who 
waited  at  the  gate. 


109 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

Rdmas  Justice 

Then  the  dog  went  in  and  stood  before  Rama,  and  praised 
his  truth  and  asked  his  pardon ;  and  Rama  inquired : 
"  What  shall  I  do  for  thee  ?  Do  thou  speak  without  fear." 
Then  the  dog  related  how  a  certain  Brahman  mendicant  had 
beaten  him  without  cause,  and  Rama  sent  for  the  Brahman, 
and  he  came,  and  asked  what  Rama  required  of  him. 
Then  Rama  reasoned  with  him,  saying :  "  O  twice-born  one, 
thou  hast  hurt  this  dog,  who  hurt  thee  not.  Lo,  anger  is 
the  worst  of  passions,  like  a  sharp  dagger,  and  steals  away- 
all  virtue.  Greater  is  the  evil  that  may  be  wrought  by 
lack  of  self-control  than  by  the  sword,  or  a  serpent,  or  a 
foe  implacable."  The  Brahman  answered :  "  I  had  been 
seeking  alms  and  was  tired  and  hungry,  and  this  dog 
would  not  move  away,  although  I  asked  him,  so  I  struck 
him.  But,  O  king,  I  am  guilty  of  error,  and  thou  shouldst 
punish  me,  that  I  may  escape  from  the  fear  of  hell." 
Rama  considered  what  was  a  fitting  punishment ;  but  the 
dog  requested  :  "  Do  thou  appoint  this  Brahman  head  of  a 
family."  So  Rama  honoured  him  and  sent  him  away 
riding  on  an  elephant;  but  the  counsellors  were  astonished. 
To  them  Rama  said:  "You  do  not  understand  this  matter; 
but  the  dog  knows  what  it  signifies."  Then  the  dog, 
addressed  by  Rama,  explained :  "  I  was  once  the  head  of  a 
family,  and  I  served  the  gods  and  Brahmans,  and  fed  the 
very  servants  before  I  took  my  food,  and  I  was  gentle  and 
benevolent ;  yet  I  have  fallen  into  this  sorry  state.  O  king, 
this  Brahman  is  cruel  and  impatient  in  his  nature,  and  he 
will  fail  to  discharge  the  duties  of  the  head  of  a  family, 
and  will  fall  into  Hell."  Then  Rama  wondered  at  the 
dog's  words,  but  the  dog  went  away  and  betook  himself  to 
penance  in  Benares. 
1 10 


Rama's  Justice 

Another  time  there  came  a  Brahman  to  the  palace  gate 
bearing  the  dead  body  of  his  son,  and  wailing:  "  O  my 
son,  thou  art  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and  I  know  not  for 
what  sin  of  mine  it  is  that  thou  hast  died  ;  never  have  I 
lied,  or  hurt  an  animal,  or  done  any  other  sin.  It  must  be 
for  some  other  reason  that  thou  hast  gone  to  Yama's 
realm.  Indeed,  it  must  be  that  the  king  has  sinned,  for 
else  such  things  may  not  befall.  Therefore,  O  king, 
do  thou  confer  life  again  upon  him;  or,  if  not,  my  wife 
and  I  will  die  here  at  thy  gate,  like  those  that  have  no 
king." 

Then  Rama  summoned  a  council  of  eight  chief  Brahmans, 
and  Narada  took  up  the  word   and   explained   to  Rama 
what  had  been  the  cause  of  the  boy's  premature  death.    He 
told  him  of  the  four  ages.     "  And  now,  O  king,  the  Kali 
age  begins  already,  for  a  Shudra  has  begun  to  practise 
penances  in  thy  kingdom,  and  for  this  cause  the  boy  has 
died.     Do  thou  search  the  matter  out  and  put  down  such 
misdeeds,  so  that  the  virtue  of  thy  subjects  may  increase 
and  this  boy  may  be  restored  to  life." 
So  Rama  ordered  the  body  of  the  boy  to  be  preserved  in 
sweet  oil,  and  he  bethought  him  of  the  self-coursino-  car 
Pushpaka,  and  it  knew  his  mind  and  came  to  him  straight- 
way. Then  Rama  mounted  the  car  and  sought  through  every 
quarter ;  but  he  found  no  sin  in  the  west  nor  in  the  north, 
and  the  east  was  crystal  clear.      Only  in  the  south,  beside 
a   sacred  pool,  he   found    a  yogi    standing  on   his  head 
practising  the  most  severe   disciplines,  and  Rama  asked 
him :  "  O  thou  blest  and  self-devoted,  who  art  thou,  and 
what  thy  colour,  and  what  dost  thou  seek  to  win,  whether 
Heaven  or  aught  else  ?  "    And  the  yogi  answered  :  "  O  great 
Rama,  I  am  of  the  Shudras,  and  it  is  for  Heaven  that  I  do 
this  penance."  Then  Rama  drew  his  sword  and  cut  off  the 

n  I 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

yogi's  head,  and  the  gods  rained  down  flowers  and  praised 
the  deed ;  but  the  Shudra  yogi  attained  to  the  abode  of 
the  heavenly  ones.  Now  Rama  prayed  to  the  gods  :  "  If 
ye  are  pleased  with  me,  do  ye  restore  to  life  the  Brahman's 
son  and  so  fulfil  my  promise  "  ;  and  they  granted  it,  and 
Rama  returned  to  Ayodhya.  Meanwhile  Slta,  dwelling  at 
Valmiki's  hermitage,  gave  birth  to  sons,  and  they  were 
named  Kusha  and  Lava ;  and  they  grew  up  in  the  forest 
hermitage,  and  Valmiki  taught  them  wisdom,  and  he 
made  this  book  of  the  Ramayana  in  sklokas,  and  gave  them 
skill  in  recitation. 

Rama's  Sons 

In  those  days  Rama  prepared  a  horse-sacrifice,  setting  free 
a  jet-black  horse  with  lucky  marks  to  wander  where  it 
would,  and  Lakshman  followed  it.  Then  he  invited  all  the 
bears  and  monkeys,  and  Vibhishana  and  foreign  kings,  and 
the  rishis  and  others  of  the  hermits  from  far  and  near,  to 
be  present  at  the  final  ceremony.  Countless  wealth  he 
gave  away  throughout  the  year  while  the  horse  wandered, 
yet  the  treasure  of  Rama  was  in  no  way  diminished;  never 
before  was  such  an  Ashwamedha  in  the  world ! 
Kusha  and  Lava  came  with  Valmiki  to  the  ceremony,  and 
Valmiki  told  them  to  recite  the  Ramayana  everywhere, 
and  if  any  questioned  them,  to  name  themselves  as 
Valmiki's  disciples.  So  they  went  about  and  sang  of 
Rama's  deeds ;  and  Rama  heard  of  it,  and  he  called  a  great 
assembly  of  the  Brahmans  and  all  kinds  of  grammarians 
and  artists  and  musicians,  and  the  hermit  children  sang 
before  them  all.  Wondrous  and  delightful  was  their  song, 
and  none  could  hear  enough  of  it ;  but  all  men  drank  up  the 
children  with  their  eyes,  and  murmured :  "  They  are  as 
like  to  Rama  as  one  bubble  is  like  another  !  "  When  Rama 

112 


Rama's  Sons 

would  have  given  them  wealth,  they  answered :  "  We  are 
dwellers  in  the  forest :  what  use  would  money  be  to  us  ?  " 
And  when  he  asked  who  had  composed  that  song,  they 
answered  :  "  Valmlki,  who  is  our  teacher.  And,  O  king, 
if  the  story  of  thy  feats  delights  thee,  do  thou  hear  it  all  at 
leisure." 

So  Rama  hearkened  to  the  story  day  by  day,  and  from  it 
he  learnt  that  Kusha  and  Lava  were  the  sons  of  Slta. 
Then  Rama  mentioned  Slta's  name  before  the  assembly, 
and  sent  a  messenger  to  inquire  from  the  hermits  if  they 
would  vouch  for  her  faithfulness  and  to  ask  herself  if  she 
were  willing  to  give  proof  of  her  innocence  again.  "  Ask 
her,"  he  said,  "  if  she  will  swear  before  the  people  to  estab- 
lish her  own  purity  and  mine."  The  hermits  sent  back  the 
message  that  she  would  come,  and  Rama  was  glad  thereof, 
and  appointed  the  next  day  for  the  taking  of  the  oath. 
When  the  appointed  time  had  come,  and  all  were  seated  in 
the  assembly,  immovable  as  mountains,  Valmlki  came 
forward,  and  Slta  followed  him  with  downcast  glance  and 
folded  hands  and  falling  tears ;  and  there  rose  a  cry  of 
welcome  and  a  murmuring  in  the  assembly  when  they  saw 
Slta  following  Valmlki  thus,  like  the  Vedas  following 
Brahma.  Then  Valmlki  spoke  before  the  people  and  said 
to  Rama :  "  O  son  of  Dasharatha,  albeit  Slta  is  pure  and 
doth  follow  the  path  of  righteousness,  thou  didst  renounce 
her  near  my  hermitage  because  of  the  people's  censure. 
Do  thou  now  permit  her  to  give  testimony  of  her  purity. 
And,  O  Rama,  I  myself,  who  follow  truth,  tell  thee  that 
these  twin  children  are  thy  sons.  Also  I  swear  before 
thee  that  if  any  sin  be  found  in  Slta  I  will  forgo  the  fruit 
of  all  austerities  I  have  practised  for  many  thousand  years." 
Then  Rama,  seeing  Slta  standing  before  the  assembly 
like  a  goddess,  with  folded  hands,  replied  :  "O  great  one, 

h  113 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

thou  art  ever  virtuous,  and  thy  words  convince  me  of  the 
purity  of  Sita.  I  recognize  these  brothers  Kusha  and  Lava 
as  my  sons.  Yet  Sita  shall  give  testimony  herself,  for  the 
sake  of  those  that  have  come  here  to  witness  her  avowal." 

Sita  taken  Home  by  Earth 

Then  there  blew  a  sweet,  cool,  fragrant  air,  a  divine  zephyr 
such  as  used  to  blow  only  in  the  golden  age,  and  folk  were 
astonished  that  that  air  should  blow  also  in  the  second 
age.  But  Sita,  with  downcast  looks  and  folded  palms, 
said  :  "  I  have  never  thought  of  anyone  but  Rama  even 
in  my  heart :  as  this  is  true,  may  the  goddess  of  the  earth 
be  my  protection.  I  have  always  with  mind  and  body  and 
words  prayed  for  Rama's  welfare,  and  by  this  I  pray 
Vasundhara  to  receive  me." 

Then  a  heavenly  throne  rose  up  from  within  the  earth, 
borne  on  the  heads  of  mighty  ndgas,1  decked  in  shining 
jewels ;  and  the  Earth  stretched  out  her  arms  and  welcomed 
Sita  and  placed  her  on  the  throne,  and  the  throne  sank 
down  again.  Thereat  the  gods  cried  out  in  praise  of  Sita, 
and  all  beings  on  earth  and  in  the  sky  were  filled  with 
wonder  and  astonishment,  so  that  one  mood  for  a  single 
moment  swayed  all  the  universe  at  once. 
But  Rama  sat  him  down  stricken  with  sorrow  and  with 
hanging  head,  and  he  was  torn  by  grief  and  anger  that 
Sita  had  disappeared  before  his  very  eyes,  and  he  would  have 
destroyed  the  very  Earth  if  she  would  not  give  Sita  back. 
But  Brahma  said  :  "  O  Rama  of  firm  vows,  thou  shouldst 
not  grieve  ;  rather  remember  thy  essential  godhead,  and 
bethink  thee  thou  art  Vishnu.  Sita  is  blameless  and  pure, 
and  for  her  virtue  she  has  gone  to  the  abode  of  ndgas  ; 

1  JVdgas,  lit.   snakes — beings   of  semi-human,  semi-serpent    nature 
inhabiting  the  waters  and  underworld. 
114 


The  Last  Days  of  Rama 

but  thou  shalt  be  with  her  in  Heaven.  Hearken  now  to 
the  ending  of  Valmlki's  story,  and  thou  shalt  know  thy 
future  history";  and  therewith  Brahma  with  the  gods 
returned  to  his  own  place,  and  Rama  appointed  the 
morrow  for  the  hearing  of  the  Utta7'a  Kanda. 

The  Last  Days  of  Rama 

But  now  Rama  was  heavy-hearted,  and  the  whole  world 
seemed  empty  without  Slta,  and  he  knew  no  peace.  He 
gave  the  monkeys  and  the  kings  and  hermits  gifts,  and 
sent  them  back  to  their  own  homes,  and  he  made  a  golden 
image  of  Slta  to  share  with  him  in  the  performance  of 
sacred  rites,  and  a  thousand  years  passed,  while  all  things 
prospered  in  the  kingdom  of  Ayodhya.  Then  Kaushalya 
and  Kaikeyl  died,  and  were  united  with  King  Dasharatha 
in  Heaven.  Bharata  reigned  in  Kekaya,  and  Satrughna 
was  king  of  Madhu,  while  the  sons  of  Lakshman  founded 
kingdoms  of  their  own. 

At  length  there  came  to  Rama's  palace  the  mighty  yogi 
Time,  and  Rama  honoured  him.  He  named  himself 
Time,  begotten  by  Narayana  on  Maya,  and  he  reminded 
Rama  of  his  godly  self  and  all  that  he  had  achieved  in 
Heaven  and  on  earth.  "  O  Lord  of  the  World,"  he  said, 
"  thou  wast  born  on  earth  for  the  destruction  of  the  Ten- 
necked  rakshasa,  and  thou  didst  undertake  to  dwell  on 
earth  for  eleven  thousand  years.  Now  that  time  is  ripe 
and  the  grandsire  sendeth  me  to  tell  thee :  now  wilt  thou 
reign  yet  longer  over  men,  or  wilt  thou  return  to  the  lord- 
ship of  the  gods?"  Then  Rama  praised  the  yogi  and 
said  he  had  spoken  truth,  and  for  himself  he  would 
return  to  his  own  place. 

But  already  Lakshman  had  left  his  home  and  gone  to  the 
banks  of  Sarayu  to  practise  great  austerities,  and  there 

ll5 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &f  Buddhists 

the  gods  rained  flowers  upon  him,  and  Indra  lifted  him 
from  the  earth  and  returned  to  his  own  city,  so  that  all  the 
gods,  seeing  the  fourth  part  of  Vishnu  come  back  to  them, 
were  gladdened  and  began  to  worship  him.  Then  Rama 
would  follow  the  same  path,  and  he  sought  to  crown  his 
brother  Bharata  as  king  of  Ayodhya,  but  he  refused  and 
would  have  the  king's  sons  Kusha  and  Lava  set  over 
North  and  South  Kosala ;  and  Rama  granted  it,  and  they 
were  installed  upon  the  throne  and  ruled  over  the  new 
cities  of  Kushavati  and  Sravanti ;  but  Ayodhya  was  alto- 
gether emptied  of  people,  for  the  folk  would  all  follow 
after  Rama  when  he  went  away.  News  of  these  matters 
was  brought  to  Satrughna  also,  and  he  set  his  two  sons 
on  the  throne  of  Mathura  and  hastened  to  return  to  Rama. 
Hearing  that  Rama  was  going  away,  the  monkeys,  born 
of  the  gods,  went  to  Ayodhya  and  beheld  him ;  and 
Sugriva  said  :  "  I  have  set  Angada  upon  the  throne  of 
Kishkindha,  and  I  will  follow  thee." 

Then  Rama  granted  the  desire  of  all  the  monkeys  to 
follow  him;  but  to  Hanuman  he  said  :  "  It  is  determined 
already  that  thou  shalt  live  for  ever:  do  thou  be  glad  on 
earth  so  long  as  the  tale  of  me  endures."  To  Jambavan 
and  some  others  Rama  appointed  life  till  the  end  of  the 
Kali  age,  and  other  bears  and  monkeys  he  gave  leave  to 
follow  him.  To  Vibhishana  he  gave  good  counsel 
regarding  government,  and  ever  to  worship  Jagannatha, 
Lord  of  the  World. 

The  next  day  Vashishtha  prepared  all  due  rites  for  those 
who  go  to  the  other  world,  and  all  men  following  Rama 
and  the  Brahmans  set  out  for  Sarayu.  There  went 
Bharata  and  Lakshman  and  Satrughna  and  their  wives, 
and  the  counsellors  and  servants;  and  all  the  people  of 
Ayodhya,  with  the  beasts  and  birds  and  the  least  of 
116 


The  Last  Days  of  Rama 

breathing  things ;  and  the  bears  and  rakshasas  and 
monkeys  followed  Rama  with  happy  hearts. 
When  they  came  to  Sarayu,  Brahma,  the  grandsire,  came 
thither  with  the  godly  folk  and  a  hundred  thousand  goodly 
cars,  and  the  wind  of  Heaven  blew  and  flowers  rained 
down  from  Heaven  upon  earth.  Then  Brahma  said  to 
Rama  :  "  Hail,  O  Vishnu  1  Do  thou,  with  thy  brothers, 
enter  in  again  in  whatsoever  form  thou  wilt,  who  art  the 
refuge  of  all  creatures,  and  beyond  the  range  of  thought 
or  speech,  unknown  of  any  save  thy  Maya."  Then  Vishnu 
entered  Heaven  in  his  own  form,  with  his  brothers,  and  all 
the  gods  bowed  down  to  him  and  rejoiced.  Then  said 
Vishnu  to  the  grandsire:  "It  behoveth  thee  to  allot  their 
due  place  to  all  these  people  who  have  followed  me  for 
love,  renouncing  self  for  my  sake."  Then  Brahma 
appointed  places  in  the  heavens  for  all  those  who  had 
come  after  Rama,  and  the  bears  and  monkeys  assumed 
their  godly  forms,  after  the  likeness  of  those  who  had 
begotten  them.  Thus  did  all  beings  there  assembled,  enter- 
ing the  waters  of  Sarayu,  attain  to  the  heavenly  state,  and 
Brahma  and  the  gods  returned  to  their  own  abode. 

Thus  ends  Ramayana,  revered  by  Brahma  and  made 
by  Valmlki.  He  that  hath  no  sons  shall  attain  a  son 
by  reading  even  a  single  verse  of  Rama's  lay.  All  sin 
is  washed  away  from  those  who  read  or  hear  it  read. 
He  who  recites  Ramayana  should  have  rich  gifts  of 
cows  and  gold.  Long  shall  he  live  who  reads  Ramayana, 
and  shall  be  honoured,  with  his  sons  and  grandsons, 
in  this  world  and  in  Heaven. 


117 


CHAPTER  III  :  THE  MAHABHARATA 

RELATED  IN  FIFTEEN  EPISODES 

Introduction  to  the  Mahabharata 

THE  Indian  national  saga,  beyond  all  dispute,  is  the 
Mahabharata.  This  is  to  the  Indian  village  and 
the  Indian  home  what  the  Iliad  was  to  the  Greek, 
and,  to  a  certain  extent  also,  what  the  Scriptures  and  Gospels 
are  to  ourselves.  It  is  the  most  popular  of  all  the  sacred 
books.  It  contains,  as  an  interlude,  the  Bhagavad  Glta, 
the  national  gospel.  But  with  this  it  is  also  an  epic. 
The  story  of  a  divine  incarnation,  Krishna,  as  he  is 
called,  has  been  wrought  into  and  upon  an  immense 
ballad  and  military  epic  of  unknown  antiquity.  Of  this 
epic  the  main  theme  is  a  great  battle  waged  between  two 
families  of  cousins,  the  sons  of  Pandu  and  the  sons  of 
Dhritarashtra — or  the  Pandavas  and  the  Kauravas,  or 
Kurus — by  name.  And  although,  after  the  fashion  of 
ancient  literature,  a  thousand  other  tales,  some  more  and 
some  less  ancient,  have  been  embedded  in  its  interstices, 
yet  this  great  drama  moves  on,  full  of  swiftness  and 
colour,  from  one  end  of  the  poem  to  the  other.  It  is 
marked  by  extraordinary  vividness  and  richness  of 
imagination.  But  perhaps  most  of  us,  remembering  that 
the  work  is  ancient,  will  be  still  more  impressed  by  the 
subtlety  and  modernness  of  the  social  intercourse  which  it 
portrays.  Here  and  there  we  may  find  an  anomalous 
custom  or  a  curious  belief,  but  in  delicacy  of  character- 
painting,  in  the  play  of  personality,  and  in  reflection  of  all 
the  light  and  shade  of  life  in  society  we  find  ourselves,  in 
the  Mahabharata,  fully  on  a  level  with  the  novels  and 
dramas  of  modern  Europe.  The  fortitude  of  Kama 
when  his  mother  embraces  him ;  the  low  voice  in  which 
118 


How  the  Princes  learned  to  Shoot 

Yudhishthira  says  "elephant"  as  a  concession  to  his 
conscience;  the  laugh  of  Bhlshma  in  battle,  contenting 
himself  with  the  slightly  emphasized  "  ShikhandinI  ?  " — 
these,  amongst  many  others,  will  occur  to  the  reader  as 
typical  instances. 

The  outstanding  fact  to  be  realized  about  the  epic,  however, 
is  that  from  end  to  end  its  main  interest  is  held  and  centred 
on  character.  We  are  witnessing  the  law  that,  as  the 
oyster  makes  its  own  shell,  so  the  mind  of  man  creates 
and  necessitates  his  own  life  and  fate.  The  whole  philo- 
sophy of  India  is  implicit  in  this  romance,  just  as  it  is  in 
the  common  household  life.  The  Mahabharata  constitutes, 
and  is  intended  to  constitute,  a  supreme  appeal  to  the 
heart  and  conscience  of  every  generation.  Far  more  than 
the  national  tradition,  it  embodies  the  national  morality. 
In  this  fact  lies  the  great  difference  between  it  and  the 
Greek  epics,  in  which  the  dominant  passion  is  the  conscious 
quest  of  ideal  beauty. 

/.  HOW  THE  PRINCES  LEARNED  TO 
SHOOT 

Now  Bhlshma,  the  royal  grandsire,  became  eager  to  find  for 
the  princes  of  the  two  imperial  houses  a  teacher  who  might 
train  them  thoroughly  in  the  use  of  arms.  And  it  happened 
one  day  about  this  time  that  the  boys,  all  in  a  company, 
were  playing  at  ball  in  the  forests  outside  Hastinapura, 
when  their  ball  rolled  away  from  them  and  fell  into  an  old 
well.  Try  as  they  would,  there  was  not  one  of  them  who 
could  get  it  back.  All  kinds  of  efforts  were  made  by  each 
in  turn,  but  without  avail.  It  seemed  as  if  the  ball  would 
never  be  recovered.  Just  when  their  boyish  anxiety  and 
vexation  were  at  their  height,  their  glances  fell,  with  one 
accord,  on  a  Brahman  sitting  near,  whom  they  had  not  at 

119 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

first  noticed.  He  was  thin  and  dark  of  hue,  and  appeared 
to  be  resting  after  the  performance  of  his  daily  worship. 
"  O  Brahman  !  "  cried  the  lads,  surrounding  him  in  a  body, 
"can  you  show  us  how  to  recover  our  ball?"  The 
Brahman  smiled  a  little  and  said :  "What?  what?  Scions 
of  the  royal  house,  and  you  don't  shoot  well  enough  for 
that!  If  you'll  only  promise  me  my  dinner,  I  will  bring  up 
not  only  your  ball  but  also  this  ring,  which  I  now  throw 
down,  by  means  of  a  few  blades  of  grass."  And  suiting 
the  action  to  the  word,  he  took  a  ring  off  his  own  finger 
and  threw  it  into  the  well.  "  Why,  Brahman-jl,  we'll 
make  you  rich  for  life,"  cried  one  of  the  lads,  "  if  you  can 
really  do  as  you  say." 

"Is  it  so?"  said  the  Brahman.  "Then  look  at  this 
grass,"  and  he  plucked  a  handful  of  long  grass  growing 
near.  "  I  am  able  by  a  spell  to  give  to  this  grass  a  virtue 
that  weapons  might  not  have.  Behold,  here  I  throw"; 
and  as  he  spoke  he  took  aim  and  threw  a  single  blade  of 
grass  with  such  deftness  and  precision  that  it  pierced  the 
ball  that  lay  in  the  well  as  if  it  had  been  a  needle.  Then 
throwing  another  blade,  he  pierced  the  first,  and  so  on  and 
so  on,  till  he  had  a  chain  of  grass,  by  which  it  was  easy  to 
draw  up  the  ball. 

By  this  time  the  interest  of  the  boys  was  centred  more  on 
the  skill  of  the  Brahman  than  on  the  recovery  of  their 
plaything,  and  they  exclaimed  with  one  accord  :  "  The 
ring,  too,  O  Brahman  !  Show  us  how  you  can  recover 
the  ring ! " 

The  Recovery  of  the  Ring 

Then  Drona — for  that  was  the  name  of  the  Brahman — 
took  up  his  bow,  which  had  been  lying  beside  him,  and 
selecting  an  arrow  from  the  quiver  that  he  wore,  he  shot 
1 20 


The  Recovery  of  the  Ring 

it  into  the  well,  and  the  arrow,  returning  to  his  hand, 
brought  up  the  ring.  Taking  the  jewel,  he  handed  it  to 
the  princes,  whose  astonishment  and  delight  knew  no 
bounds.  "What  can  we  do  for  you?  What  can  we  do?" 
they  cried.  The  Brahman's  face  had  grown  grave  again. 
"Tell  Bhishma,  your  guardian,  that  Drona  is  here,"  he 
answered  briefly,  and  relapsed  again  into  the  depths  of 
thought. 

The  lads  trooped  off,  with  their  enthusiasm  fresh  upon 
them,  to  describe  to  Bhishma,  the  Protector,  the  extra- 
ordinary experience  of  the  morning;  and  he,  struck  by 
the  thought  that  Drona  was  the  very  teacher  he  was 
seeking,  hastened  in  person  to  see  him  and  bring  him  to 
the  palace.  Bhishma  had  known  of  Drona  formerly  as 
the  son  of  the  great  sage  Bharadwaja,  whose  ashrama  in 
the  mountains,  near  the  source  of  the  Ganges,  had  been  a 
centre  of  great  learning.  To  that  hermitage  had  come 
many  illustrious  students,  who  had  been  playmates  and 
comrades  to  Drona  during  childhood  and  youth.  It  was 
also  rumoured  in  the  royal  and  military  society  of  the 
period  that  Drona,  after  his  father's  death,  had  performed 
great  austerities  and  gone  through  a  very  determined 
course  of  study,  in  consequence  of  which  he  had  been 
mysteriously  gifted  with  divine  weapons  and  the  knowledge 
of  how  to  use  them. 

It  was  now  the  object  of  the  royal  grandsire,  therefore,  to 
learn  how  and  why  the  Brahman  should  be  seeking  atten- 
tion in  the  capital,  and  a  few  adroit  questions  quickly  told 
him  all  that  he  required  to  know.  Drona  had  married 
and  had  a  son  born  to  him,  Ashvatthaman  by  name. 
Moved  by  the  needs  of  his  child,  he  had  for  the  first  time 
realized  his  own  poverty,  and  had  set  out  to  renew  the 
brilliant  friendships  of  his  boyhood.     Chief  amongst  these 

121 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

had  been  his  intimacy  with  Drupada,  now  king  of  the 
Panchalas,  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  minor  kingdoms. 
When  Drupada,  as  a  prince,  had  been  a  student  like 
himself,  they  had  been  inseparable,  vowing  to  each  other 
lifelong  friendship.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  Drupada, 
now  a  sovereign  in  his  own  right,  should  be  the  first  of 
those  to  whom  in  his  bitter  need  he  thought  of  repairing. 
But  when  he  had  appeared  before  him  the  king  of  the 
Panchalas  had  laughed  him  to  scorn  and  repudiated  all 
their  ancient  friendship.  To  him  it  seemed  sheer  imperti- 
nence that  the  poor  Brahman,  in  the  position  of  a  beggar, 
though  he  was  the  son  of  a  famous  scholar,  should  claim 
equality  and  intimacy  with  one  seated  on  a  throne.  And 
then  in  the  heart  of  Drona  had  risen  a  great  wrath  and 
wounded  pride.  The  bitterness  of  his  poverty  was  not 
now  so  great  as  the  heat  of  his  resentment.  He  would 
do  what  he  would  do.  But  in  order  to  do  it  he  must  find 
pupils  of  the  best.  He  was  desirous,  therefore,  of  placing 
himself  at  the  disposal  of  Bhishma. 

The  old  Protector  smiled  as  he  heard  the  climax  of  this 
story.  He  was  far  too  discreet  to  inquire  as  to  the  pur- 
poses of  Drona.  Instead  of  this  he  cut  matters  short  by 
rising  and  saying  :  "  Only  string  thy  bow,  O  Brahman,  and 
make  the  princes  of  my  house  accomplished  in  the  use  of 
arms.  All  that  we  have  is  at  thy  disposal.  We  are  indeed 
fortunate  to  have  obtained  thy  services ! " 

The  Promise  to  Drona 

One  day,  soon  after  Drona  had  taken  the  princes  as  his 

pupils,  he  called  them  together  and  made  them  prostrate 

themselves  before  him,  and  having  done  so  he  required 

from  them  a  promise  that  when  they  should  become  skilled 

in  arms  they  would  carry  out  for  him  a  certain  purpose 

122 


•• 


f  ^«' r 


X 

EKALAVYA 

Nanda  Lal  Bose 
Page  122 


Ekalavya 

that  was  in  his  heart.  At  this  demand  all  the  princes  fell 
silent;  but  one  of  them,  Arjuna,  the  third  of  the  Pandavas, 
vowed  eagerly  that  whatever  it  might  be  he  would  promise 
to  accomplish  it.  Then  Drona  embraced  Arjuna  repeatedly, 
and  from  this  moment  there  was  a  special  attachment 
between  the  two,  and  Arjuna  was  always  with  his  master, 
with  his  whole  mind  bent  on  the  science  of  arms. 
And  princes  came  from  the  neighbouring  kingdoms  to 
learn  of  Drona.  And  all  the  Kurus  and  all  the  Pandavas 
and  the  sons  of  the  great  nobles  were  his  pupils.  And 
amongst  them  came  that  strange  and  melancholy  youth 
who  went  by  the  name  of  Kama,  and  was  reputed  to  be 
the  adopted  son  of  a  royal  charioteer,  his  actual  birth  being 
unknown,  though  some  held,  from  his  auspicious  charac- 
teristics, that  he  must  be  of  exalted  rank.  And  young 
Kama  and  Arjuna  thus  early  became  rivals,  each  trying 
to  outdo  the  other  in  the  use  of  the  bow.  And  Kama 
tended  to  mix  rather  with  Duryodhana  and  his  brothers 
than  with  the  Pandavas. 

Meanwhile  Arjuna  took  every  opportunity  of  learning,  and 
in  lightness  and  skill  outdid  all  his  fellows.  One  evening 
when  he  was  eating,  his  lamp  went  out,  and  observing 
that  even  in  the  dark  his  hand  carried  the  food  to  the 
mouth,  his  mind  was  set  on  the  power  of  habit,  and  he 
began  to  practise  shooting  also  in  the  night.  And  Drona, 
hearing  the  twang  of  the  bowstring,  came  and  embraced 
him,  declaring  that  in  the  whole  world  there  should  not  be 
another  equal  unto  him. 

Ekalavya 

And  amongst  those  who  came  to  Drona  was  a  low-caste 
prince  of  non-Aryan  birth  known  as  Ekalavya.  But  Drona 
would  not  accept  him  as  a  pupil,  lest,  as  one  of  the  leaders 

123 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§?  Buddhists 

of  the  lower  races,  he  should  come  in  time  to  excel  all  the 
Aryan  princes,  and  should  learn  all  the  secrets  of  their 
military  science. 

Then  Ekalavya,  retiring  to  the  forest,  made  a  clay  image 
of  Drona,  and  bowed  down  before  it,  worshipping  it  as 
his  teacher.  And  by  reason  of  his  great  reverence  and 
devotion  to  his  purpose,  it  soon  came  about  that  there  were 
few  archers  in  the  land  equal  to  Ekalavya.  And  one  day, 
when  all  the  princes  were  hunting  in  the  forest,  a  dog  ran 
off  alone  and  found  himself  suddenly  face  to  face  with  a 
man  of  dark  hue  wearing  matted  locks  besmeared  with 
mud  and  with  his  one  piece  of  raiment  black  in  colour. 
The  dog,  in  his  astonishment  at  this  strange  sight,  began 

111  oo'o 

to  bark  aloud.  But  before  he  could  close  his  mouth  the 
prince  Ekalavya  had  shot  into  it  no  less  than  seven  arrows, 
aiming  by  the  sound  alone.  The  dog,  thus  pierced  with 
seven  arrows  and  unable  to  close  his  mouth,  ran  back  to 
the  princes,  and  they,  fired  with  jealousy  and  admiration, 
began  to  seek  every  where  for  the  unknown  archer.  It 
was  not  long  before  they  found  him,  ceaselessly  discharging 
arrows  from  the  bow,  and  when  they  asked  who  and  what 
he  was,  he  replied:  "I  am  the  son  of  the  king  of  the 
Nishadas.  Know  me  also  as  a  pupil  of  Drona,  struggling 
for  the  acquisition  of  skill  in  arms! " 

But  when  Drona  heard  of  it  he  took  Arjuna  with  him  and 
sought  out  the  archer  Ekalavya.  And  when  the  low-caste 
prince  saw  Drona  approaching,  he  prostrated  himself  and 
then  stood  with  folded  hands  awaiting  his  commands. 
And  Drona  said :  "  If,  O  hero,  thou  art  really  my  pupil, 
give  me,  then,  the  teacher's  fee ! " 

"  Master,"  said  Ekalavya  in  his  delight,  "  you  have  only 
to  name  what  you  will  have.     I  have  nothing  I  would  not 
joyfully  give  you." 
124 


The  Triumph  of  Arjuna 

"  If  you  really  mean  it,  Ekalavya,"  answered  Drona 
coldly,"  I  should  like  to  have  the  thumb  of  your  right  hand." 
And  the  low-born  prince,  allowing  no  look  of  sadness  to 
cross  his  face,  turned  without  ado  and  cut  off  the  thumb 
of  his  own  right  hand  to  lay  it  at  the  feet  of  Drona.  But 
when  the  Brahman  had  gone  and  he  turned  again  to  his 
archery,  he  found  that  his  marvellous  lightness  of  hand  was 
for  ever  vanished. 

Thus  were  the  royal  princes  left  without  rivals  in  the  use 
of  arms.  And  two  of  them,  Bhlma,  the  second  of  the 
Pandavas,  and  Duryodhana,  his  cousin,  became  highly 
accomplished  in  the  use  of  the  mace.  Ashvatthaman,  the 
son  of  Drona  himself,  knew  most  of  the  theory  of  war- 
fare. The  Pandava  twins,  Nakula  and  Sahadeva, 
excelled  every  one  in  horsemanship  and  in  handling  the 
sword.  Yudhishthira,  the  eldest  of  the  Pandavas,  was 
greatest  as  a  chariot-soldier  and  officer.  But  Arjuna 
excelled  all  in  every  respect.  He  could  use  all  the 
weapons,  and  his  intelligence,  resourcefulness,  strength,  and 
perseverance  were  admitted  on  every  side.  Moreover,  he 
alone  amongst  the  princes  became  fitted  for  a  general 
command,  being  capable  of  fighting  from  his  chariot  with 
sixty  thousand  foes  at  once. 

The  Triumph  of  Arjuna 

And  Drona  one  day  was  desirous  of  testing  by  open 
competition  the  relative  excellence  of  the  young  men  he 
had  trained.  So  he  caused  an  artificial  bird  to  be  made 
and  placed,  as  their  target,  on  the  top  of  a  tree.  Then, 
assembling  all  his  pupils,  he  said :  "  Take  up  your  bows  and 
stand  practising  your  aim.  When  I  give  the  order  you 
will  cut  off  the  head  of  the  bird.  I  shall  take  you  one  by 
one  in  turn." 

I25 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Then   he   called  Yudhishthira  to  him  alone.    "  Now  be 

ready,"  he  said,  "  to  shoot  with  your  arrow  when  I  give 

the  order."     And  Yudhishthira  took  up  his  bow  and  arrow 

as  he  was  told,  and  stood  ready  at  a  word  to  let  fly. 

"  Do  you  see  the  bird  on  the  top  of  that  tree  ? "  asked 

Drona. 

"  I  do,"  answered  Yudhishthira. 

"  What  do  you  see  ?  "  said  Drona  quickly.     "  Myself,  or 

your  brothers,  or  the  tree  ?  " 

"  I  see  yourself,  sir,"  answered  Yudhishthira  carefully,  "  my 

brothers,  the  tree,  and  the  bird." 

Three  times  Drona  repeated  his  question,  and  three  times 

Yudhishthira   gave   the   same   reply.     Then   with   great 

sorrow  Drona  ordered  him  to  one  side.     It  was  not  by 

him  that  the  arrow  would  be  shot. 

One  by  one,  princes   and   nobles,  the  Pandava  brothers 

and  their  cousins  the  Kurus,  were  all  called  up,  and  in 

each  case  Yudhishthira's  answer  was  given :  "  We  behold 

the  tree,  yourself,  our  fellow-pupils,  and  the  bird." 

One  man   only  remained    untried,  and    Drona    made  no 

effort  to  conceal  his  disappointment.     Now,  however,  he 

turned  with  a  smile  to  the  last  and  called  to  him  Arjuna, 

his  favourite  pupil.     "  By  you,  if  any,  must  the  bolt  be 

sped.      So  much  is  clear,  O  Arjuna!"  he  said.     "Now 

tell  me,  with  bow  bent,  what  do  you  see — the  bird,  the 

tree,  myself,  and  your  friends  ?  " 

"  No,"  said   Arjuna   promptly ;  "  I   see   the   bird  alone, 

neither  yourself,  sir,  nor  the  tree  !  " 

"  Describe  the  bird  to  me,"  said  Drona  briefly. 

"  I  see  only  a  bird's  head,"  replied  Arjuna. 

"Then  shoot  I"  said  his  master  with  frank  delight,  and 

in  an  instant    the  bird  stood  headless   on  the  tree,  and 

Drona,  embracing  Arjuna,  thought  of  that  great  tourna- 

126 


The  Trial  of  the  Princes 

ment   in   which    he  would  yet  see   Drupada  vanquished 
before  him. 

//.  THE  TRIAL  OF  THE  PRINCES 
Then  Drona,  seeing  that  his  pupils  had  now  completed 
their  education,  applied  to  Dhritarashtra  the  king  for 
permission  to  hold  a  tournament,  in  which  all  would  have 
an  opportunity  of  exhibiting  their  skill.  The  request  was 
at  once  granted,  and  preparations  began  for  the  great 
occasion.  Land  was  chosen,  and  the  citizens  assembled 
by  proclamation  to  be  present  at  the  offering  of  sacrifices 
for  its  consecration  on  an  auspicious  day.  The  lists  were 
levelled  and  equipped,  and  a  great  hall  built  for  the 
queens  and  their  ladies,  while  tents  and  galleries  were 
placed  at  every  advantageous  point  for  the  use  of  the 
spectators. 

And  when  the  day  appointed  for  the  tournament  arrived 
the  king  took  his  place,  surrounded  by  his  ministers  and 
preceded  by  Bhlshma  and  the  early  tutors  of  the  princes. 
Then  Gandharl,  the  mother  of  Duryodhana,  and  KuntI,  the 
mother  of  the  Pandavas,  richly  robed  and  jewelled  and 
attended  by  their  retinues,  took  the  places  that  had  been 
reserved  for  them.  And  nobles,  Brahmans,  and  citizens 
left  the  city  and  came  hastening  to  the  spot,  till,  with  the 
sound  of  drums  and  trumpets  and  the  clamour  of  voices, 
that  great  assembly  became  like  the  agitated  ocean. 
At  last  the  white-haired  Drona  entered  the  lists  dressed 
all  in  white  and  looking  as  if  the  moon  itself  had  appeared 
in  an  unclouded  sky,  while  beside  him  his  son  Ashvat- 
thaman  looked  like  some  attendant  star. 
Ceremonies  of  propitiation  were  next  performed,  and 
then,  as  the  chanting  of  the  Vedic  hymns  died  away,  arms 
were  carried   in,  the  blare  of  trumpets  was    heard,  and 

127 


Myth: 


s  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

the  princes  entered   in   procession  with  Yudhishthira  at 
their  head. 

Now  began  the  most  marvellous  display  of  skill.  The 
shower  of  arrows  was  so  thick  and  constant  that  few  of  the 
spectators  could  hold  their  heads  up  unflinchingly,  yet  the 
aim  of  the  knightly  archers  was  so  sure  that  not  a  single 
arrow  missed  its  mark.  Each,  engraved  with  the  name  of 
its  owner,  was  found  in  that  precise  spot  at  which  it  had 
been  shot.  Then  they  leapt  on  the  backs  of  spirited 
horses,  and  vaulting  and  careering,  turning  this  way  and 
that,  went  on  shooting  at  the  marks.  Then  the  horses 
were  abandoned  for  chariots,  and  driving  in  and  out, 
racing,  turning,  soothing  their  steeds  or  urging  them  on, 
as  occasion  might  demand,  the  combatants  continued  to 
display  their  agility,  their  precision,  and  their  resource. 
Now  leaping  from  the  chariots,  and  seizing  each  man  his 
sword  and  shield,  the  princes  began  to  fence  and  exhibit 
sword-play.  Then,  like  two  great  mountains  and  thirsting 
for  battle,  Bhlma  and  Duryodhana  entered  the  arena,  clubs 
in  hand,  for  single  combat. 

Bracing  themselves  up,  and  summoning  to  their  own  aid 
their  utmost  energy,  the  two  warriors  gave  a  mighty  roar, 
and  began  careering  in  due  form,  right  and  left,  circling 
the  lists,  till  the  moment  came  for  the  rush  and  the  mimic 
onslaught,  in  which  each  would  strive  to  defeat  his 
antagonist  by  right  of  his  superior  skill.  And  so  great 
was  the  lust  of  battle  in  the  two  princes  that  the  vast 
assembly  caught  the  infection  and  became  divided  in  its 
sympathies,  some  for  Bhlma,  some  for  Duryodhana,  till 
Drona  saw  that  it  was  necessary  to  stop  the  contest  if  he 
would  not  have  it  degenerate  into  an  actual  fight. 
Then  the  master  himself  stepped  into  the  lists  and, 
silencing  the  music  for  a  moment,  in  a  voice  like  that 
128 


XI 

THE  TRIAL  OF  THE  PRINCES 

Nan  da  LA  i.  Eose 
Page   128 


I 


\ 


The  Entry  of  Kama 

of  the  thunderstorm,  introduced  Arjuna,  the  most  beloved 
of  his  pupils.  The  royal  KuntI,  mother  of  the  Pandavas, 
was  transported  with  delight  at  the  acclamation  which  she 
now  saw  her  son  receive,  and  not  until  it  had  died  down 
a  little  could  he  begin  to  display  his  skill  in  arms.  But 
such  were  the  power  and  lightness  of  Arjuna  that  it  seemed 
as  if  with  one  weapon  he  created  fire,  with  another  water, 
with  a  third  mountains,  and  as  if  with  a  fourth  all  these 
were  made  to  disappear.  Now  he  appeared  tall  and  again 
short.  Now  he  appeared  fighting  with  sword  or  mace, 
standing  on  the  pole  or  the  yoke  of  his  chariot;  then  in  a 
flash  he  would  be  seen  on  the  car  itself,  and  in  yet  another 
instant  he  was  fighting  on  the  field.  And  with  his  arrows 
he  hit  all  kinds  of  marks.  Now,  as  if  by  a  single  shot,  he 
let  fly  five  arrows  into  the  mouth  of  a  revolving  iron  boar. 
Again  he  discharged  twenty-one  arrows  into  the  hollow  of 
a  cow's  horn  swaying  to  and  fro  from  the  rope  on  which  it 
hung.  Thus  he  showed  his  skill  in  the  use  of  sword, 
bow,  and  mace,  walking  about  the  lists  in  circles. 

The  Entry  of  Kama 

Just  as  Arjuna's  display  was  ending  a  great  noise  was 
heard  in  the  direction  of  the  gate,  as  if  some  new  com- 
batant were  about  to  make  his  way  into  the  lists.  The 
whole  assembly  turned  as  one  man,  and  Duryodhana  with 
his  hundred  brothers  rose  hastily  and  stood  with  uplifted 
weapons,  while  Drona  stood  in  the  midst  of  the  five 
Pandava  princes  like  the  moon  in  a  five-starred  constel- 
lation. 

Then,  the  centre  of  all  eyes,  the  hero  Kama  entered, 
magnificent  in  arms  and  manhood.  And  far  away  in  the 
gallery  of  queens  the  royal  KuntI  trembled  to  see  again 
the  son  whom   she    had  long  ago  abandoned,  fearing  to 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  feP  Buddhists 

own  his  divine  birth.  For,  all  unknown  to  any,  the  sun 
himself  had  been  the  father  of  Kama,  and  Kunti — in 
future  to  become  the  mother  of  the  Pandavas — had  been 
his  mother. 

And  now  was  he  goodly  indeed  to  look  upon.  Was  he 
not  in  truth  an  emanation  from  the  hot-beamed  sun?  His 
proportions  made  him  like  unto  some  great  cliff.  Hand- 
some of  feature,  he  was  possessed  of  innumerable  accom- 
plishments. He  was  tall  in  stature,  like  a  golden  palm- 
tree,  and  endued  with  the  vigour  of  youth,  he  was  capable 
even  of  slaying  a  lion.  Bowing  quietly  to  his  teacher,  he 
now  turned  himself  towards  Arjuna,  and  in  the  tones  of 
one  challenging  declared  that  he  had  come  to  outdo  the 
performance  that  had  just  been  given.  A  thrill  of  excite- 
ment passed  over  the  great  audience,  and  Duryodhana 
openly  showed  his  delight.  But,  alas  !  the  princely  Arjuna 
flushed  crimson  with  anger  and  contempt.  Then,  with  the 
permission  of  Drona,  the  mighty  Kama,  delighting  in 
battle,  made  good  his  word  and  did  all  that  Arjuna  had 
done  before  him.  And  when  his  display  of  skill  was 
over  he  was  embraced  and  welcomed  by  all  the  sons  of 
Dhritarashtra,and  Duryodhana  asked  him  what  he  could  do 
for  him.  "  O  prince,"  said  Kama  in  reply,  "  I  have  but  one 
wish,  and  that  is  to  engage  in  single  combat  with  Arjuna ! " 
Arjuna,  meanwhile,  hot  with  resentment  at  what  he  deemed 
the  insult  put  upon  him,  said  quietly  to  Kama  :  "The  day 
will  yet  come,  O  Kama,  when  I  shall  kill  you ! " 
"  Speak  thou  in  arrows,"  answered  Kama  loudly,  "  that 
with  arrows  I  may  this  very  day  strike  off  thy  head 
before  our  master  himself !  " 


130 


Kama  and  Arjuna 

Kama  and  Arjuna 

Thus  challenged  a  outrance,  Arjuna  advanced  and  took 
his  place  for  single  combat.  And  Kama  likewise  advanced 
and  stood  facing  him. 

Now  Arjuna  was  the  son  of  Indra,  even  as  Kama  had 
been  born  of  the  sun,  and  as  the  heroes  confronted  one 
another  the  spectators  were  aware  that  Arjuna  was  covered 
by  the  shadow  of  the  clouds,  that  over  him  stretched  the 
rainbow,  the  bow  of  Indra,  and  that  rows  of  wild  geese, 
flying  overhead,  gave  a  look  of  laughter  to  the  sky.  But 
Kama  stood  illumined  by  the  rays  of  the  sun.  And 
Duryodhana  ranged  himself  near  Kama,  while  Bhlshma 
and  Drona  stood  close  to  Arjuna.  And  up  in  the  royal 
gallery  a  woman  was  heard  to  moan  and  fall. 
Then  the  master  of  the  ceremonies  advanced  and  cried  out 
the  style  and  titles  of  Arjuna,  a  style  and  titles  that  were 
known  to  all.  And  having  done  this,  he  waited,  and 
called  upon  the  rival  knight  to  show  equal  lineage,  for 
sons  of  kings  could  not  fight  with  men  of  inferior  birth. 
At  these  words  Kama  turned  pale,  and  his  face  was  torn 
with  contending  emotions.  But  Duryodhana,  eager  to 
see  Arjuna  defeated,  cried  out :  "  If  Arjuna  desires  to  fight 
only  with  a  king,  let  me  at  once  install  Kama  king  of 
Anga  I  " 

As  if  by  magic,  the  priests  came  forward  chanting ;  a 
throne  of  gold  was  brought  forward  ;  rice,  flowers,  and 
the  sacred  water  were  offered,  and  over  Kama's  head  was 
raised  the  royal  umbrella,  while  yak-tails  waved  about 
him  on  every  side.  Then,  amidst  the  cheers  of  the  multi- 
tude, Kama  and  Duryodhana  embraced  each  other  and 
pledged  each  other  their  eternal  friendship. 
At  that  very  moment,  bent  and  trembling  with  age  and 

131 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

weakness,  poorly  clad,  and  supporting  himself  on  a  staff, 
an  old  man  was  seen  to  enter  the  lists.  And  all  present 
knew  him  for  Adhiratha,  one  of  the  charioteers  of  the  royal 
household.  But  when  the  glance  of  Kama  fell  upon  him 
he  hurriedly  left  his  throne  and  came  and  bent  himself 
down  before  the  old  man  leaning  on  his  staff,  and  touched 
his  feet  with  that  head  that  was  still  wet  with  the  sacred 
water  of  coronation.  And  Adhiratha  embraced  Kama,  and 
wept  for  pride  that  he  had  been  made  a  king,  calling  him 
his  son. 

And  Bhlma,  standing  amongst  the  Pandava  heroes, 
laughed  aloud  in  derision.  "What!  What  hero  is  this?" 
he  said.  "  It  seems,  sir,  that  the  whip  is  your  true 
weapon.  How  can  he  be  a  king  who  is  the  son  of  a 
charioteer  ?  " 

Kama's  lip  quivered,  but  for  sole  reply  he  folded  his  arms 
and  looked  upward  to  the  sun.  But  Duryodhana  sprang 
up  in  wrath,  and  said:  "The  lineage  of  heroes  is  ever 
unknown !  What  does  it  matter  where  a  brave  man 
comes  from  ?  Who  asks  for  the  source  of  a  river  ?  Was 
a  tiger  like  this  ever  born  of  servants?  But  even  if  it 
were  so,  he  is  my  friend,  and  well  deserves  to  be  king  of 
the  whole  world.  Let  him  who  has  any  objection  to  offer 
bend  the  bow  that  Kama  bends  ! " 

Loud  cheers  of  approval  broke  out  amongst  the  spectators, 
but  the  sun  went  down.  Then  Duryodhana,  taking  Kama 
by  the  hand,  led  him  away  from  the  lamp-lit  arena.  And 
the  Pandava  brothers,  accompanied  by  Bhlshma  and 
Drona,  went  back  to  their  own  place.  Only  Yudhishthira 
carried  away  the  thought  that  none  could  defeat  Kama. 
And  KuntI,  the  queen-mother,  having  recognized  her 
son,  cherished  the  thought  that  after  all  he  was  king 
of  Anga. 
132 


The  Teacher's  Fee 

///.  THE  TEACHERS  FEE 

The  time  had  now  come  when  Drona  thought  he  should 
demand  the  offering  due  to  the  teacher  from  those  he  had 
trained.  He  therefore  assembled  together  all  his  pupils, 
and  said:  "Seize  Drupada,  king  of  Panchala,  in  battle, 
and  bring  him  bound  unto  me.  This  is  the  only  return  I 
desire  as  your  master  and  preceptor." 
The  enterprise  was  wholly  agreeable  to  the  high-spirited 
youths,  and  with  light  hearts  they  got  together  an  imposing- 
array  of  chariots,  arms,  and  followers,  and  set  out  for  the 
capital  of  Drupada,  not  neglecting  to  strike  at  the  Panchalas 
on  their  way.  For  it  was  the  delight  of  the  princes  and 
nobles  who  went  forth  on  this  raid  to  display  their  prowess 
and  skill  as  they  went.  And  never  did  they  make  this 
more  noticeable  than  when  they  entered  the  gates  and 
clattered  up  the  streets  of  Drupada's  capital. 
Hearing  the  clamour,  the  king  himself  came  to  the 
verandahs  of  his  palace  to  look  down  at  the  sight.  But 
the  knights,  uttering  their  war-cry,  shot  at  him  a  shower 
of  arrows.  Then  Drupada,  accompanied  by  his  brothers, 
issued  from  his  palace  gates  in  due  form  on  his  white 
chariot,  and  set  himself  to  encounter  the  raiding  force. 
But  Arjuna  held  back  his  brothers  and  himself  from 
participation  in  what  seemed  to  him  a  mere  milie.  He 
realized  that  the  Panchala  king,  fighting  in  his  own 
capital,  would  not  be  overcome  by  tactics  of  this  order. 
But  they  would  have  the  effect  of  wearying  him,  and  then 
would  be  the  opportunity  for  the  Pandavas  to  act. 
Even  as  he  had  predicted,  the  white  chariot  of  the  king 
was  seen,  now  here,  now  there,  always  driving  forward, 
and  always  hastening  toward  that  point  where  danger  was 
greatest  and   the  gathering  of  the   raiders   thickest,  and 

*33 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

during  these  rapid  movements  he  kept  pouring  into  their 
ranks  such  a  quick  and  constant  shower  of  arrows  that  the 
Kurus  showed  a  tendency  to  become  panic-stricken  and 
to  assume  that  they  were  fighting  not  one,  but  many 
Drupadas. 

By  this  time  the  alarm  had  spread  throughout  the  city,  and 
drums  and  trumpets  began  to  sound  from  every  house,  while 
the  men  poured  out,  ready  armed,  to  the  assistance  of  their 
king.  Now  there  arose  from  the  great  host  of  the  Panchalas 
a  terrible  roar,  while  the  twang  of  their  bowstrings  seemed 
to  rend  the  very  heavens.  A  new  and  answering  fierceness 
blazed  up  for  a  moment  amongst  the  invading  warriors, 
but  wherever  an  arrow  was  shot,  there  it  seemed  stood 
Drupada  in  person  to  answer  it.  He  was  here,  there,  and 
everywhere,  and  careering  over  the  field  of  battle  like  a 
fiery  wheel,  he  attacked  Duryodhana,  and  even  Kama, 
wounded  them,  and  slaked  in  right  earnest  their  thirst  for 
battle,  till,  seeing  the  host  of  the  citizens  to  which  they 
were  opposed,  the  Kurus  broke  and  fled  with  a  wail  of 
defeat  back  to  where  the  Pandavas  were  waiting. 

The  Might  of  Arjuna 

Hastily  the  Pandavas  now  did  reverence  to  Drona  and 
ascended  their  chariots.  To  Arjuna  fell  the  leadership,  as 
if  by  instinct,  and  he,  forbidding  Yudhishthira  to  fight 
or  expose  himself,  quickly  appointed  the  twins,  his 
youngest  brothers,  protectors  of  his  chariot-wheels,  while 
Bhlma,  ever  fighting  in  the  van,  ran  forward,  mace  in  hand, 
to  lead  the  attack.  Thus,  like  the  figure  of  Death,  Arjuna 
entered  the  host  of  the  Panchalas.  And  Bhlma  with  his 
club  began  to  slay  the  elephants  that  covered  them.  And 
the  battle  became  fierce  and  terrible  to  behold.  Arjuna 
singled  out  the  king  and  his  general    for  his  personal 

134 


The  Vengeance  of  Drona 

attack.  Then  he  succeeded  in  cutting  down  the  flagstaff, 
and  when  that  had  fallen  he  leapt  from  his  chariot,  and 
casting  aside  his  bow  for  his  sword,  he  seized  Drupada 
the  king  with  as  much  ease  as  a  huge  bird  seizes  a 
water-snake. 

Having  thus  exhibited  his  own  might  in  the  presence  of 
both  hosts,  Arjuna  gave  a  loud  shout  and  came  forth 
from  amongst  the  Panchalas,  carrying  his  captive  with  him. 
At  this  sight  the  Kurus  were  maddened  and  would  have 
made  to  devastate  the  whole  capital  of  the  Panchalas,  but 
Arjuna  in  a  loud  voice  restrained  them.  "  Drupada,"  he 
said,  "  is  our  friend  and  ally.  To  yield  him  up  personally 
will  satisfy  Drona.  On  no  account  let  us  slay  his 
people  I  " 

Then  all  the  princes  together,  bringing  with  them  their 
captives,  turned  to  Drona  and  laid  before  him  Drupada, 
together  with  many  of  his  ministers  and  friends. 

The  Vengeance  of  Drona 

Drona  smiled  quietly  at  the  king  who  had  once  been  his 
friend.  "  Fear  not,  O  king,"  he  said  ;  "  your  life  shall  be 
spared.  But  would  you  not  care  to  cultivate  my  friend- 
ship ? "  Then  he  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Again 
opening  his  lips,  he  said  :  "  In  truth,  Drupada,  I  love  you 
no  less  to-day  than  of  old  in  our  boyhood.  And  I  still 
desire  your  friendship.  You  told  me,  alas!  that  only  a 
king  could  be  the  friend  of  a  king,  and  for  that  reason 
shall  I  restore  to  you  only  half  of  your  territory,  in 
order  that,  being  a  king  myself,  I  may  enjoy  your 
affection  on  equal  terms.  You  shall  be  king  of  all  your 
lands  that  lie  on  the  south  of  the  river  Ganges,  and  I  shall 
reign  over  those  on  the  north.  And  now,  Drupada,  will 
it  bemean  you  to  grant  me  your  friendship  ?  ' 

135 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

With  these  words  Drona  released  Drupada,  and  bestowed 
on  him  the  sovereignty  of  half  his  own  kingdom,  being 
those  territories  that  lay  south  of  the  Ganges.  And 
Drupada,  with  many  compliments,  assured  him  of  his 
profound  admiration  and  regard.  But  in  his  own  mind 
the  lesson  that  the  mortified  king  laid  to  heart  was  that 
of  his  old  friend's  superior  resources,  and  from  this 
time  forth  he  in  his  turn  wandered  in  all  directions,  even 
as  Drona  had  wandered  to  Hastinapura,  in  the  hope  of 
discovering  some  charm  or  other  means,  by  devotion  or 
otherwise,  to  obtain  a  son  who  might  work  out  his  revenge 
on  the  man  who  had  humiliated  him.  And  it  came  to 
pass  that  this  enmity  to  Drona  grew  in  time  to  be  one  of 
the  main  motives  in  the  life  of  Drupada,  king  of  the 
Panchalas. 

IV.   THE  HOUSE  OF  LAC 

It  was  about  a  year  after  the  invasion  of  Drupada's  city 
that  Dhritarashtra,  moved  by  a  sense  of  what  was  due,  and 
having  regard  also  to  the  welfare  of  his  subjects,  decided 
to  crown  Yudhishthira  in  public  as  heir-apparent  of  the 
empire.  For  Pandu,  the  father  of  Yudhishthira  and  his 
brothers,  had  been  the  monarch  of  the  realm,  and  not 
Dhritarashtra,  whose  blindness  had  been  considered  to 
render  him  incompetent.  It  was  now  incumbent  upon  the 
blind  king,  therefore,  to  nominate  Yudhishthira  and  his 
brothers  as  his  successors,  instead  of  any  of  his  own 
children.  And  this,  after  the  exhibition  of  knightly 
prowess  that  had  introduced  them  to  the  world,  he  could 
no  longer  refuse  to  do. 

But  the  Pandava  princes  took  their  new  position  more 
seriously  than  anyone  had  foreseen.  Never  contented 
with  mere  enjoyment,  they  went  out  in  all  directions  for 
136 


The  House  of  Lac 

the  extension  of  the  suzerainty,  and  constantly  sent  back 
to  the  royal  treasury  immense  spoils.  Duryodhana  had 
been  jealous  of  his  cousins  from  his  very  childhood,  but 
now,  seeing  their  great  superiority  and  their  growing 
popularity,  even  his  father,  Dhritarashtra,  began  to  be 
anxious,  and  at  last  he,  too,  could  not  sleep  for  jealousy. 
Feeling  in  this  way,  it  was  easy  enough  for  a  king  to 
summon  to  his  side  councillors  who  would  give  him  the 
advice  he  craved,  and  he  was  assured  in  due  course  that 
the  extermination  of  his  enemies  was  the  first  duty  of  a 
sovereign. 

But  the  Pandavas  also  had  a  watchful  friend  and  adviser 
in  a  certain  uncle  named  Vidura,  who,  though  of  inferior 
birth,  was  a  veritable  incarnation  of  the  god  of  justice. 
Vidura  had  the  gift  of  reading  men's  thoughts  from  their 
faces,  and  easily  at  this  juncture  did  he  understand  the 
mind  of  Dhritarashtra  and  his  family.  But  he  warned  the 
Pandavas  that  while  they  ought  to  be  on  their  guard,  they 
must  never  precipitate  the  full  hatred  of  those  who  were 
in  power  by  allowing  it  to  be  seen  that  they  understood 
their  feelings.  Rather  must  they  accept  everything  that 
was  done  with  an  air  of  cheerfulness,  and  apparently  with- 
out suspicion. 

About  this  time  Duryodhana  openly  approached  his  father, 
begging  him  to  banish  his  cousins  to  the  town  of  Benares, 
and  during  their  absence  confer  on  himself  the  sovereignty 
of  the  kingdom.  The  timid  Dhritarashtra  could  only 
acknowledge  that  the  suggestion  marched  well  with  his  own 
secret  wishes,  and  this  being  so,  his  stronger-minded  son 
quickly  reassured  him  as  to  the  difficulties  that  he  foresaw. 
Theirs  was  at  present,  he  pointed  out,  the  command  of  the 
treasury.  Having  that,  they  could  buy  the  popular  allegiance, 
and  no  critic  of  their  conduct  would  be   strong  enough 

137 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

to  oppose  them.  From  this  time  Duryodhana  began  to 
win  over  the  people  by  lavish  distribution  of  wealth  and 
honours. 

The  Princes  are  Banished 

It  was  now,  under  secret  instructions  from  Dhritarashtra 
the  king,  that  certain  members  of  the  court  began  to  praise 
the  beauties  of  the  city  of  Benares,  in  which,  they  said,  the 
yearly  festival  of  Shiva  was  already  beginning.  Presently, 
as  was  intended,  the  Pandava  princes,  with  others,  showed 
some  interest  and  curiosity  as  to  the  beauties  of  Benares, 
and  said  how  very  much  they  would  like  to  see  it.  Sud- 
denly, at  the  word,  the  blind  Dhritarashtra  turned  towards 
them  with  apparent  kindness.  "Then  go,  my  children," 
he  said,  "you five  brothers  together,  and  satisfy  your  desire 
by  living  for  some  time  in  the  city  of  Benares,  and  you 
shall  take  with  you  from  the  royal  treasury  largess  for 
distribution." 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  fact  that  the  words  which 
sounded  so  friendly  were  really  a  sentence  of  banishment. 
But  Yudhishthira,  with  his  fixed  policy,  had  sufficient 
presence  of  mind  to  bow  cheerfully  and  signify  pleasure  at 
the  opportunity  given  him.  A  day  or  two  later  the  grey- 
haired  Kunti  set  out  with  her  five  sons  from  Hastinapura. 
Purochanna,  the  friend  and  minister  of  Duryodhana,  had, 
however,  left  still  earlier  to  make  preparations  at  Benares 
for  receiving  the  princes.  And  especially  he  was 
instructed  to  build  a  house  for  them  of  highly  inflammable 
materials  and  fitted  with  all  the  costliest  furniture  and 
equipments  as  close  to  the  public  arsenal  as  possible,  that 
there  he  might  live,  as  warden  of  the  city,  and  watch  for  a 
suitable  opportunity  of  setting  fire  to  it,  as  if  by  accident. 
The  palace,  in  fact,  was  to  be  made  of  lac. 

■  38 


The  Princes  arrive  at  Benares 

Meanwhile  the  watchful  Vidura,  letting  nothing  in  all  this 
escape  him,  had  made  ready  on  the  Ganges  a  fine  ship 
to  which  Kunti  and  her  sons  might  flee  in  their  hour 
of  peril.  Now,  also,  as  the  Pandavas  set  forth  from 
Hastinapura,  Vidura,  of  all  who  accompanied  them  at  the 
beginning  of  their  journey,  was  the  last  to  leave  them  ; 
and  as  they  parted  he  said  to  Yudhishthira  in  low  tones, 
and  in  a  language  that  they  two  alone  understood  :  "  Be 
always  alert !  There  are  weapons  not  made  of  steel.  One 
can  escape  even  from  fire  by  having  many  outlets  to  one's 
house,  and  a  deep  hole  is  a  wonderful  refuge!  Make 
yourselves  familiar  with  the  roads  through  the  forest  and 
learn  to  direct  yourselves  by  the  stars.  Above  all,  be 
ever  vigilant ! " 

"  I  understand  you  well,"  replied  Yudhishthira  quickly, 
and  without  more  words  they  parted. 

The  Princes  arrive  at  Benares 

The  Pandavas  were  received  with  great  magnificence  by 
the  people  of  Benares,  headed  by  Purochanna,  and  were 
lodged  for  a  time  in  a  house  outside  the  city.  On  the 
tenth  day,  however,  Purochanna  described  to  them  a  fair 
mansion  that  he  had  erected  for  them  within  the  city.  His 
name  for  it  was  "  the  blessed  home,"  but  it  was  of  course 
in  reality  "the  accursed  house,"  and  Yudhishthira,  judging 
that  course  wisest,  went  forth  with  his  mother  and 
brothers  to  take  up  his  quarters  in  it.  On  reaching  the 
house  he  inspected  it  closely,  and,  indeed,  the  smell  of  lac, 
tar,  and  oil  was  strongly  perceptible  in  the  new  building. 
Then,  turning  to  Bhima,  he  told  him  that  he  suspected  it 
to  be  highly  inflammable.  "  Then  ought  we  not  to  return 
at  once  to  our  first  quarters  ?  "  said  the  simple  Bhima  in 
surprise.      "  In  my  opinion  it   is   wiser,"    answered    his 

139 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

brother,  "  to  remain  here  in  seeming  contentment,  and  thus 
gain  time  by  allaying  all  their  suspicions.  If  we  showed 
that  we  understood  him,  this  Purochanna  would  make  an 
immediate  attempt  upon  us.  But  we  must  always  have 
our  eyes  about  us ;  not  for  one  moment  must  we  allow 
ourselves  to  be  careless." 

No  sooner  were  the  princes  established  in  their  new  abode 
than  there  came  to  them  a  man  who  said  he  was  an 
emissary  from  Vidura,  their  uncle,  and  skilled  in  mining. 
It  was  his  opinion  that  the  house  in  which  they  now  were 
would  be  burnt  on  some  moonless  night.  He  therefore 
proposed  to  dig  for  them  a  wide  subterranean  passage 
without  delay.  And  he  repeated  to  them,  as  password, 
the  last  sentence  that  had  been  spoken,  in  a  strange 
tongue,  between  Yudhishthira  and  his  uncle  at  the 
moment  of  parting.  Hearing  all  this,  the  Pandavas 
accepted  him  with  great  joy,  and  he  at  once  began  a 
careful  excavation  in  the  chamber  of  Yudhishthira, 
covering  up  its  entrance  with  planks  so  as  to  be  level 
with  the  rest  of  the  floor.  And  the  princes  spent  their 
days  hunting  and  ranging  the  forests  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, and  at  night  slept  always  within  closed  doors,  with 
their  arms  beside  their  pillows. 

The  Escape  of  the  Pandavas 

When  a  whole  year  had  gone  by  it  appeared  to  Yudhish- 
thira that  Purochanna  was  completely  off  his  guard.  He 
therefore  considered  that  the  time  would  now  be  favourable 
for  their  escape.  On  a  certain  evening,  therefore,  KuntI 
the  queen  gave  a  great  feast,  and  hundreds  of  men  and 
women  came  to  it.  And  in  the  dead  of  the  night,  as  it 
chanced,  when  all  had  gone,  a  great  wind  began  to  blow ; 
and  Bhlma  at  that  time,  coming  out  quietly,  set  fire  to  that 
140 


,i,r . 


«*4mm 


XII 

THE  HOUSE  OF  LAC 

Nanda  Lal  Bose 

Page  140 


I 


11 


i 


The  Escape  of  the  Pandavas 

part  of  the  house  which  adjoined  Purochanna's  own 
quarters  in  the  arsenal.  Then  he  set  fire  to  various  other 
parts,  and  leaving  it  all  to  blaze  up  of  itself,  he,  with  his 
mother  and  brothers,  entered  the  subterranean  passage 
to  make  their  escape.  And  none  knew  that  a  poor  low- 
caste  woman  had  come  to  the  feast,  accompanied  by  her 
five  sons,  nor  that  all  six,  in  the  sleep  of  intoxication,  lay 
within  the  burning  house.  And  since  drowsiness  and  fear 
impeded  the  motion  of  the  Pandavas,  the  gigantic  Bhlma 
lifted  his  mother  to  his  shoulder,  and  then,  taking  two 
brothers  under  each  arm,  pushed  forward  along  the  secret 
passage,  and  came  out  after  a  while  into  the  darkness  of 
the  forest.  And  Bhlma,  thus  loaded,  pushed  on,  breaking 
the  trees  with  his  breast,  and  pressing  the  earth  deep  with 
the  stamping  of  his  feet. 

And  behind  them  the  citizens  of  Benares  stood  all  night 
watching  the  burning  of  the  house  of  lac,  wailing  aloud 
for  the  fate  of  the  princes,  whom  they  supposed  to  be 
within,  and  loudly  condemning  the  wicked  Purochanna, 
whose  motives  they  understood  thoroughly  well;  and 
when  morning  was  come  they  found  the  body  of  Puro- 
channa and  the  bodies  of  the  innocent  low-caste  woman 
and  her  five  sons,  and  sending  word  to  Dhritarashtra  in  the 
distant  capital,  they  proceeded  to  render  royal  honours  to  the 
unfortunate  victims.  But  the  miner  who  had  been  em- 
ployed by  Vidura  contrived  to  help  in  the  moving  about  of 
the  ashes,  and  so  to  cover  the  entrance  to  the  secret 
passage  as  he  did  so  that  none  suspected  its  existence. 
Meanwhile,  when  the  Pandavas  had  emerged  from  the 
forest  they  found  in  a  fair  ship  on  the  Ganges  a  man  who 
seemed  to  be  measuring  the  river  and  searching  its  bed  to 
find  a  ford.  And  this  was  really  that  captain  who  had 
been  sent  by  Vidura  to  wait  for  the  hour  of  the  Pandava 

141 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

flight.  Seeing  the  five  men,  with  their  mother,  reach  the 
river-bank,  he  now  brought  up  his  vessel  and  said  to  the 
grey-haired  KuntI  in  a  low  voice :  "  Escape  with  thy 
children  from  the  net  that  death  hath  spread  around  you 
all ! "  KuntI  looked  up  startled,  and  he  turned  to  the 
princes  and  said  :  "  It  is  the  word  of  Vidura.  Be  ever 
alert !  I  am  sent  to  convey  you  to  the  other  side  of  the 
Ganges  ! " 

Recognizing  him  by  these  words  as  the  agent  of  Vidura, 
the  princes  gladly  stepped  into  his  boat,  and  he  took  them 
safely  to  the  opposite  shore.  Then  uttering  the  one  word 
Jaya  (Victory  !),  he  left  them,  and  returned  to  the  work 
he  had  seemed  to  be  doing.  And  the  Pandavas,  with  their 
mother,  fled  on  from  forest  to  forest  and  town  to  town. 
Now  they  went  in  one  disguise  and  again  in  another,  till 
at  last  they  came  to  the  town  of  Ekachakra,  and  being 
there  received  in  the  outer  rooms  of  a  Brahman  and  his 
family,  they  settled  down  to  live  as  learned  men  by  begging. 
And  repeating  long  passages  from  the  sacred  books,  it  was 
easy  for  them  to  obtain  enough  food  to  eat.  With  their 
tall  forms,  their  deer-skin  garments,  their  sacred  threads, 
and  their  matted  locks,  all  men  took  them  for  Brahmans. 
But  returning  to  KuntI  in  the  evening  with  the  rice  they 
had  gathered  during  the  day,  it  was  always  divided  by  her 
into  two  equal  portions.  One  of  these  was  eaten  by 
Bhlma,  and  the  other  was  divided  between  the  four 
remaining  brothers  and  herself.  And  so  doing  they  lived 
for  many  months  in  simplicity  and  much  happiness  in  the 
town  of  Ekachakra. 

V.  HOW  THE  PANDAVAS  WON  A  BRIDE 
Now  while  the  Pandavas  were  living  with  their  mother 
disguised  as  Brahmans  in  the  town  of  Ekachakra,  there 
142 


How  the  Pandavas  won  a  Bride 

came  one  staunch  friend  and  another  out  of  their  past  life 
to  visit  them  quietly.  And  from  one  of  these  they  heard 
that  Drupada,  king  of  the  Panchalas,  had  announced  the 
Swayamvara  of  his  beautiful  daughter  Draupadl.  A  few 
more  words  passed  regarding  the  extraordinary  charms 
and  accomplishments  of  the  princess  of  the  Panchalas,  and 
in  the  evening,  when  their  guest  had  gone,  KuntI  noticed 
that  her  sons  had  fallen  silent  and  listless.  Then,  guessing 
the  cause  of  their  changed  spirits  better  than  they  could 
have  done  themselves,  she  said,  with  gentle  tact,  that  she 
was  tired  of  Ekachakra  and  would  be  glad  to  renew  their 
wanderings,  if  her  sons  would,  in  the  country  of  the 
Panchalas. 

The  very  next  day  all  said  good-bye  to  their  host  the 
Brahman  of  Ekachakra  and  set  out  for  Kampilya,  the 
capital  of  Drupada.  And  as  they  went  they  fell  in  with 
certain  Brahmans  going  by  the  same  road,  who  told  them 
of  the  great  bridal  choice  that  was  about  to  be  held  for 
the  princess  of  the  kingdom  and  of  the  royal  largess  to  be 
given  to  wandering  scholars  on  the  occasion.  And  the 
princes,  making  as  though  they  heard  of  these  things  now 
for  the  first  time,  joined  themselves  to  their  company  and 
announced  their  intention  of  witnessing  the  Swayamva?'a. 
And  when  they  reached  the  city  they  went  about  it  for  a 
time  as  sightseers  and  ended  by  taking  up  their  quarters 
in  the  guest-rooms  of  a  certain  potter. 
Now  it  happened  that  ever  since  the  raid  of  Drona  and 
his  pupils  Drupada  had  cherished  a  secret  wish  that  his 
daughter  Draupadl  might  be  wedded  to  Arjuna.  But 
this  wish  he  had  never  mentioned  to  anyone.  Still,  not 
knowing  of  the  reputed  death  and  thinking  secretly  of 
him,  he  caused  a  very  stiff  bow  to  be  made  and  had  a  ring 
suspended  at  a  very  great  height,  and  announced  that  he 

143 


Myth 


s  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 


who  should  string  the  bow  and  shoot  his  arrow  through 
the  ring  should  have  the  princess  for  his  wife.  With 
these  words  he  proclaimed  the  Swayamvara,  and  kings, 
princes,  and  great  sages  began  to  pour  in  from  all  sides. 
Even  Duryodhana  came  with  his  friend  Kama.  And  all 
alike  Drupada  received  with  lavish  hospitality.  But  the 
Pandavas  were  living  as  beggars  in  the  house  of  the 
potter,  and  none  in  all  the  city  recognized  them. 
The  festivities  attendant  on  a  royal  wedding  began,  and 
every  day  waxed  greater  and  greater,  till  on  the  sixteenth 
day,  when  everything  was  at  its  height,  the  great  moment 
arrived.  The  Princess  Draupadl,  robed  and  jewelled, 
stepped  into  the  arena,  bearing  a  golden  plate  whereon  lay 
a  garland  of  flowers.  As  she  entered,  all  music  was 
stopped  and  the  royal  Brahmans  lighted  the  sacrificial 
fire.  When  all  was  still,  Dhrishtadyumna,  her  twin- 
brother,  stepped  forward  beside  the  princess  and  said  in  a 
voice  as  deep  and  rich  as  thunder  itself :  "  O  ye  monarchs 
that  are  assembled  here  to-day,  behold  the  bow,  and 
yonder  is  the  ring!  He  who  can  shoot  five  arrows 
through  that  ring — having  birth,  beauty,  and  strength  of 
person — shall  obtain  to-day  my  sister  as  his  bride ! " 
Then  turning  to  the  princess  herself,  he  enumerated  all 
the  kings  who  were  candidates  for  her  hand  and  told  her 
that  he  who  should  shoot  the  mark  was  to  be  chosen  bv  her. 
And  Duryodhana's  name  came  first,  and  Kama  was  men- 
tioned, but  none  spoke  the  names  of  the  five  Pandavas,  who, 
unknown  to  all,  were  present  in  the  crowd  as  Brahmans. 

The  Contest 

As    Dhrishtadyumna  finished  speaking  their   names  the 

kings  and  princes  all  leapt  to  their  feet,  each  eager  to  be 

first  in  the  stringing  of  the  bow.     And  as  they  sprang  into 

144 


The  Contest 

the  arena  and  crowded  together  to  the  testing-spot,  it  was 
said  by  some  that  they  saw  the  gods  themselves  on 
their  heavenly  chariots  mingling  in  the  concourse.  One 
after  another,  with  hearts  beating  high,  under  the  eyes  of 
Drupada,  in  the  blaze  of  the  world  and  covered  with  glory, 
the  candidates  went  forward  to  the  shooting-place.  And 
some  with  swelling  lips  and  straining  muscles  laboured 
long  to  string  that  bow,  and  one  after  another,  with  crowns 
loosened  and  garlands  torn,  had  to  desist  without  success, 
being  tossed  to  the  ground  by  the  resistance  of  the  weapon. 
Then  Kama,  seeing  the  mortification  of  his  friends  and 
eager  to  show  the  glory  of  the  knighthood,  stepped  for- 
ward quickly  to  the  place  of  the  bow.  And  seeing  him, 
five  seeming  Brahmans  amongst  the  spectators  drew  in 
their  breath  and  gave  the  princess  up  for  lost,  for  they 
had  no  manner  of  doubt  that  Kama  could  string  the  bow 
of  Drupada. 

But  as  her  eyes  fell  on  the  hero  the  princess  exclaimed  in 
cold  tones  of  disdain  :  "  I  will  not  wed  the  son  of  a 
charioteer !  "  And  hearing  her,  Kama  smiled  somewhat 
bitterly,  glanced  up  at  the  sun,  and  cast  aside  the  bow, 
already  drawn  to  a  circle. 

And  now  when  the  last  of  the  monarchs  was  making  his 
attempt,  and  their  uniform  failure  was  being  discussed 
hotly  by  the  spectators,  Arjuna,  with  his  deer-skin  rug,  his 
matted  locks,  and  his  sacred  thread,  rose  from  amongst 
the  crowd  of  Brahmans  seated  as  onlookers  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  arena  and  stepped  forward  to  the  shooting- 
dais.  Loud  murmurs,  some  of  approval  and  some  of 
disapproval,  rose  from  the  Brahmans  to  right  and  left 
of  him  as  he  did  so.  For,  regarding  him  as  one  of  them- 
selves, they  took  his  movement  for  the  most  part  as  one 
of  mere  childish  restlessness  which  would  bring  disgrace 

k  145 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

on  all  of  them.  Only  a  few  of  them,  noting  his  form  and 
bearing,  had  the  courage  to  cry  :  "  Good,  good !  Make 
the  attempt !  " 

But  while  his  friends  talked  Arjuna  walked  up  to  the 
bow  and  stood  before  it  like  a  mountain.  Bending  his 
head  in  prayer,  he  walked  slowly  round  it.  Then  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye  he  strung  it,  and  shooting  five  arrows 
in  quick  succession  through  the  ring,  he  brought  down 
the  mark  that  had  been  suspended  above. 
The  cheering  that  followed  seemed  to  come  from  the 
heavens  as  well  as  from  the  amphitheatre.  The  Brah- 
mans  stood  up  in  their  excitement  waving  their  scarfs. 
Flowers  rained  from  the  sky  in  all  directions.  And  the 
bards  immediately  burst  out  into  praises  of  the  hero  who 
had  won.  From  the  royal  seats  above  the  lists  Drupada 
the  king  beamed  approval  on  the  young  Brahman  who  had 
shot  the  mark,  and  the  Princess  DraupadI  lifted  her  eyes 
to  Arjuna's  and  silently  signified  that  she  took  him  as  her 
lord. 

But  while  the  uproar  was  at  its  height  Yudhishthira,  with 
the  twins  Nakula  and  Sahadeva,  fearing  recognition  if 
they  remained  all  in  one  place,  rose  and  left  the  assembly, 
leaving  Arjuna  and  Bhlma  together  alone.  In  less  time 
than  it  takes  the  clouds  to  overspread  the  sky,  the  whole 
temper  of  the  assembly  seemed  to  change. 
Arjuna  had  been  vested  by  DraupadI  with  the  white  robe 
and  the  garland  of  marriage,  and  Drupada's  approval  of 
the  hero  was  patent  to  all  the  beholders.  Seeing  this,  the 
kings  and  princes  who  had  failed  were  suddenly  filled  with 
wrath.  They  had  been  set  at  naught.  They  had  been 
invited  to  be  insulted.  They  had  been  openly  refused 
out  of  contempt,  and  a  Brahman  chosen  over  their  heads. 
Seizing  their  maces,  the  angry  warriors  made  a  united 
146 


The  Pandavas  are  Recognized 

rush  upon  Drupada,  who  shrank  back  for  the  moment 
amongst  the  crowd  of  Brahmans.  But  seeing  the  danger 
of  their  host,  Arjuna  and  Bhima  came  forward  to  cover 
him — Arjuna  with  the  redoubtable  bow,  and  Bhima,  tear- 
ing up  by  the  roots  a  great  tree,  brandishing  it  ready  for 
success.  Even  Arjuna,  accustomed  as  he  was  to  the  great 
feats  of  his  brother,  was  astonished  to  see  him  uproot  the 
tree,  while  all  the  monarchs  fell  back  in  sheer  amaze- 
ment. 

The  Pandavas  are  Recognized 

But  one  there  was  in  the  royal  gallery,  Krishna  by  name, 
a  prince  of  the  Vrishnis  and  cousin  by  birth  of  the  Pan- 
dava  princes,  who,  seeing  that  feat,  knew  suddenly  who 
the  two  seeming  Brahmans  were. 

"  Look,  look !  "  he  said  to  his  brother,  who  was  beside 
him,  "  I  had  heard  that  the  Pandavas  had  escaped  from 
the  house  of  lac,  and  as  surely  as  I  am  Krishna  yonder 
are  two  of  them,  Bhima  and  Arjuna  !  " 
Then  the  Brahmans,  shaking  their  coco-nut  water-vessels 
and  their  deer-skins,  closed  round  Drupada  for  his  protec- 
tion against  the  onset  of  the  knighthood,  while  Arjuna 
and  Bhima  took  them  one  by  one  in  single  combat.  And 
such  was  the  shooting  of  arrows  between  Kama  and 
Arjuna  that  each  was  to  the  other  invisible  for  several 
minutes  at  a  time,  and  Kama  fainted  from  loss  of  blood, 
but  recovered  to  a  greater  enthusiasm  for  battle  than 
before.  And  all  admired  the  strength  and  lightness  of 
Bhima,  who  could  seize  a  hero  and  throw  him  to  a  dis- 
tance and  yet  refrain  from  hurting  him  much. 
Finally,  however,  the  kings  and  princes,  with  all  their  good 
humour  restored  by  fighting,  surrendered  cheerfully  to 
their  Brahman  opponents.    And  when  this  moment  arrived, 

H7 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

Arjuna  and  Bhima,  leaving  the  throng  and  followed  by 
the  princess,  turned  their  steps  to  their  mother's  house. 
KuntI  meanwhile  had  been  waiting  in  great  anxiety  for 
the  return  of  her  two  sons.  The  day  was  wearing  on,  and 
how  many  evils  might  not  have  befallen  them !  At  last, 
however,  in  the  midst  of  a  crowd  of  Brahmans,  she  saw 
Arjuna  and  Bhlma.  Reaching  the  door,  they  said  :  "  Ah, 
mother,  behold  what  we  have  obtained  as  alms  to-day ! " 
KuntI,  from  within  the  house,  not  having  seen  the  blush- 
ing princess  whom  they  were  putting  forward  as  they 
spoke,  answered  :  "  Enjoy  ye  all  what  ye  have  brought!  " 
Then  she  saw  Draupadi  and,  embracing  her  warmly,  wel- 
comed her  as  a  daughter.  Thus  the  princess  of  the  Pan- 
chalas  became  the  bride  of  the  Pandavas. 
But  as  all  sat  together  in  silence  in  the  house  of  the 
potter  there  came  two  guests — Krishna,  the  prince  of 
the  Vrishnis,  and  Balarama,  his  brother — who  laughingly 
hailed  them  all  as  Pandavas,  touching  the  feet  of  Yudhish- 
thira  in  token  of  their  delight  that  they  had  escaped  from 
the  house  of  lac.  Then,  lest  any  should  recognize  them 
and  their  disguise  be  penetrated,  they  hastily  withdrew 
again.  And  the  Princess  Draupadi  proceeded  humbly  and 
lovingly  under  Kuntl's  direction  to  cook  the  evening  meal 
for  the  whole  family.  And  none  was  aware  that  her 
brother,  Prince  Drishtadyumna,  was  lying  concealed  in  an 
adjoining  room  for  the  purpose  of  listening  to  the  secret 
conversation  of  the  seeming  Brahmans. 
And  when  night  came,  the  Pandavas,  lying  awake,  dis- 
cussed with  one  another  of  divine  weapons  and  battle 
chariots  and  elephants  and  military  matters.  And 
Drishtadyumna  set  out  with  the  dawn  to  return  to  his 
father  and  report  to  him  the  character  of  the  hero  who 
had  bent  the  bow.  But  Drupada,  running  forward,  met 
148 


The  Story  of  Shishupala 

him,  saying :  "  Tell  me  !  tell  me  !  was  it  Arjuna  who  shot 
the  mark?" 

Only  after  the  bridal  feast  had  been  given,  however,  at 
the  palace  of  Drupada,  would  Yudhishthira  admit  that  he 
and  his  brothers  were  in  truth  the  Pandava  princes.  Until 
Draupadi  was  duly  wedded  she  knew  them  only  as  the 
shooters-down  of  the  bow,  and  whatever  they  might  be, 
kings  or  Brahmans,  she  accepted  them  on  that  basis. 
But  when  Drupada  knew  that  he  was  now  in  close  alliance 
with  the  Pandavas  his  joy  knew  no  bounds  and  he  feared 
nothing,  even  from  the  gods.  And  the  rumour  of  their 
escape  from  the  house  of  lac  and  their  victory  at  the 
Swayamvara  began  to  spread  through  the  neighbouring 
kingdoms,  and  all  men  began  to  look  on  them  as  those 
newly  returned  from  the  dead.  And  Vidura  himself 
carried  the  news  to  Dhritarashtra  that  the  Pandavas  now 
were  alive  and  well  and  gifted  with  many  and  powerful 
friends. 

VI.  THE  STORY  OF  SHISHUPALA 
When  the  news  reached  Dhritarashtra  that  the  Pandavas 
had  not  after  all  been  burnt  in  the  house  of  lac,  but  had 
escaped  and  were  now  at  the  court  of  Drupada,  accepted 
in  his  family  and  furnished  with  many  and  powerful 
friends,  the  old  king  did  not  know  what  reply  to  make. 
So  he  called  to  him  his  son  Duryodhana  and  all  his 
councillors,  and  put  to  them  the  question  of  what  course  he 
should  pursue. 

All  were  for  their  immediate  recall  to  Hastinapura  ;  every 
one  urged  the  sending  of  congratulations  on  their  escape. 
But  Duryodhana  was  of  opinion  that  after  this  they  should 
proceed  to  dispose  of  them  by  a  series  of  frauds,  dividing 
their  interests  and  setting  them  against  each  other,  and  so 

149 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

at  last  deprive  them  of  all  resource.  Kama,  on  the  other 
hand,  held  that  they  should  be  fought.  Prowess  against 
prowess,  knighthood  against  knighthood,  he  said.  These 
men  could  never  be  divided.  Such  an  attempt  would  only 
render  ridiculous  him  who  might  undertake  it.  But  a  fair 
fight  should  be  the  method  of  a  soldier.  The  Pandavas 
were  men,  they  were  not  gods,  and  as  men  they  might  be 
defeated  in  battle. 

Bhlshma,  on  the  other  hand,  supported  by  Drona  and 
Vidura,  pointed  out  that  the  right  of  the  Pandavas  to  the 
paternal  kingdom  was  at  least  as  good  as  that  of  Duryo- 
dhana.  They  must  therefore  be  recalled  and  firmly 
established  in  half  of  the  kingdom.  So  strong  was  the 
insistence  of  these  good  men  upon  this  course  that 
Dhritarashtra  had  nothing  to  do  but  obey,  and  an  embassy 
was  sent  to  the  court  of  Drupada,  with  presents  for  the 
princes,  to  congratulate  them  on  their  safety  and  to  invite 
them  again  to  their  ancestral  home.  By  this  time  not 
only  Drupada,  but  also,  and  even  more  powerfully,  Krishna 
and  his  brother  Balarama,  had  become  the  friends  and 
counsellors  of  the  Pandavas,  and  not  until  they  were  advised 
to  do  so  by  all  of  these  did  they  accept  the  overtures  of 
friendship  made  by  their  kinsman  Dhritarashtra.  At  last, 
however,  they  did  so,  and  taking  KuntI,  their  mother,  and 
DraupadI,  their  queen,  set  out  for  the  city  of  Hastinapura. 

The  Return  of  the  Pandavas 

Arriving  there  and  staying  long  enough  to  rest,  they  were 
summoned  to  the  presence  of  Dhritarashtra,  who  told 
them  that  in  order  to  prevent  any  further  disturbance 
his  family  he  was  willing  to  divide  the  kingdom  and  give 
them  half,  assigning  to  them  a  certain  desert  tract  for 
residence.  It  had  always  been  the  habit  of  these  princes 
150 


The  Return  of  the  Pandavas 

to  accept  cheerfully  what  was  offered  them  by  the  aged 
sovereign  and  make  the  best  of  it.  And  on  this  occasion 
they  did  not  break  their  rule.  Apparently  seeing  no  flaw 
in  this  gift  of  a  barren  tract  of  wilderness  for  a  home, 
they  did  homage  to  Dhritarashtra  and  set  forth  to  their 
new  capital. 

Once  there,  however,  their  energy  knew  no  bounds.  Offer- 
ing the  necessary  sacrifices  of  propitiation,  they  had  the 
ground  measured  off  for  a  new  city,  and  proceeded  to 
build,  fortify,  and  adorn  it  till  there  stood  on  the  plain  the 
famous  Indraprastha,  a  fit  abode  for  the  very  gods,  not  to 
speak  of  emperors,  such  were  its  beauty  and  magnificence. 
Not  content  with  building  a  city,  the  brothers  set  about 
organizing  their  dominions  and  their  administration,  and 
their  subjects,  realizing  the  wisdom  and  beneficence  of  these 
new  rulers,  felt  themselves  happy  indeed  to  have  passed 
under  their  sway.  There  was  no  misery  in  that  kingdom 
caused  by  arrears  of  rent.  The  peasant  obtained  easy  access 
to  his  sovereign.  Justice  was  well  administered  ;  order  was 
maintained ;  peace  and  prosperity  were  united  on  all  sides. 
At  this  time  it  was  suggested  to  Yudhishthira  that  he 
ought  to  hold  a  Coronation  Sacrifice,  and  the  thought 
began  to  cause  him  some  anxiety.  On  every  hand  he 
sought  the  advice  of  his  ministers,  but  not  until  he  had 
obtained  that  of  Krishna,  his  new  and  trusted  friend, 
could  he  be  sure  of  the  right  course.  He  was  aware  of 
the  many  motives — kindness,  flattery,  self-interest,  and  the 
rest — that  guide  men  in  the  giving  of  counsel,  and  to  his 
mind  there  was  but  one  soul  that  was  above  all  such 
influence.  The  Coronation  Sacrifice  was  not  a  rite  to  be 
undertaken  lightly.  It  meant  the  establishment  of  the 
king  who  performed  it  as  suzerain  over  all  his  fellows. 
To  do  this  it  was  necessary  to  bring  together  an  immense 

151 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &P  Buddhists 

concourse  of  tributary  sovereigns,  and  it  was  well  known 
that  in  this  great  concourse  of  feudatories  lurked  immense 
dangers.  It  was  at  such  gatherings  that  revolutions  were 
apt  to  originate.  It  behoved  him  who  would  offer  the 
sacrifice,  therefore,  to  think  well  over  the  state  of  things, 
and  consider  clearly  what  he  was  attempting.  Successful, 
he  might  expect  to  be  regarded  as  over-lord  of  the  whole 
empire  for  life.  But  the  smallest  false  step  might  result 
in  supreme  disaster,  hurling  him  from  the  throne  and  even 
bringing  about  a  civil  war. 

The  Counsel  of  Krishna 

Even  as  Yudhishthira  had  thought,  whilst  others  lightly 
counselled  him  to  undertake  the  sacrifice,  Krishna  alone 
could  point  out  to  him  the  train  of  thought  that  should 
guide  a  monarch  face  to  face  with  so  grave  an  enterprise. 
Point  by  point  he  discussed  with  him  the  political  state  of 
rival  kingdoms  and  the  chances  of  stability  in  the  country 
at  large.  Thus  he  led  him  to  see  what  wars  must  be 
undertaken  and  what  areas  must  yet  be  subjugated  before 
the  imperial  sacrifice  could  be  offered.  But  Krishna 
encouraged  Yudhishthira,  no  less  warmly  than  his  own 
ministers  had  done,  as  to  his  personal  fitness  and  the 
appropriate  condition  of  the  home-kingdom  and  its 
government  for  the  proud  position  that  he  desired  to  make 
his  own.  Nor  did  Yudhishthira  or  any  of  his  brothers 
suspect  that,  just  as  this  festival  would  establish  them  in 
the  over-lordship,  so  it  was  destined  to  reveal  before  the 
eyes  of  all  men,  and  not  only  to  the  trusted  few  who 
already  knew  it,  the  greatness  and  power  of  Krishna  him- 
self, who  was,  indeed,  no  king,  only  because  he  was  so  far 
above  all  earthly  kings. 

Having  taken  the  advice  of  this  mighty  counsellor, 
^52 


The  Quarrel  for  Precedence 

Yudhishthira  proceeded  to  carry  it  out  in  every  particular, 
and  not  until  all  was  finished  would  he  announce  his 
intention  of  holding  the  coronation  festival.  Even  after 
this  the  preparations  for  the  sacrifice  took  a  long  time  to 
make,  but  finally  all  was  ready,  and  in  every  direction 
invitations  were  sent  out,  and  kings  and  heroes  began  to 
pour  in.  And  there  was  one  there,  Narada  by  name,  who 
had  the  inner  sight,  and  he,  looking  upon  that  great 
assembly  and  seeing  the  Lord  Krishna  as  its  true  centre 
and  occasion,  was  filled  with  awe,  and  where  others  saw 
only  brilliance  and  festivity  he  was  all  reverence  and  sat 
watching,  lost  in  worship. 

Now  when  the  last  day  of  the  sacrifice  was  come  and  the 
sacred  water  was  about  to  be  sprinkled  on  the  head  of 
Yudhishthira,  it  was  suggested  by  Bhlshma,  head  of  both 
the  royal  houses,  that,  as  a  matter  of  courtesy  to  the  invited 
guests,  homage  should  first  be  done  to  each  one  of  them 
in  turn,  according  to  his  rank  and  precedence.  And,  added 
the  old  grandfather  as  his  eyes  dwelt  fondly  on  the  face 
of  Krishna,  to  him  first  of  all,  as  the  incarnation  of  God, 
let  these  royal  honours  be  paid  as  chief.  And  Krishna 
himself  consenting  also,  the  honours  were  paid. 

The  Quarrel  for  Precedence 

But  one  there  was  amongst  the  assembled  kings  who 
grudged  the  precedence  given  to  Krishna  in  the  midst  of 
sovereigns,  as  if  he  also  had  been  a  ruling  monarch.  And 
this  guest,  Shishupala  by  name,  broke  out  into  bitter  re- 
proaches against  Bhlshma  and  Yudhishthira  for  what  he 
regarded  as  the  insult  done  to  the  tributary  vassals  in  thus 
putting  before  them  one  who  could  lay  no  claim  to  prece- 
dence by  right  of  independence,  or  long  alliance,  or  age 
and  kinship.     Was  Krishna,  he  asked,  the  oldest  who  was 

153 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

present?  How  could  such  a  claim  be  urged  when  Vasudev, 
his  own  father,  was  in  his  proper  place  ?  Or  was  he  held 
as  master  and  teacher  ?  But  here  was  Drona  the  Brahman, 
who  had  acted  as  tutor  to  all  the  royal  princes.  Or  did 
the  Pandavas  give  him  precedence  because  of  his  treaty- 
value  as  an  ally  in  time  of  war?  If  so,  here  was  Drupada,  who 
deserved  better  of  them  ;  for  he  was  the  father  of  Draupadl, 
their  queen,  and  none  could  be  so  bound  to  them  as  he. 
But  if  it  was  love  and  reverence  that  had  guided  the  offering, 
then  surely  old  Bhlshma,  their  kinsman,  the  bond  between 
two  lines,  had  a  better  right. 

At  these  words  of  Shishupala,  a  certain  number  of  the  guests 
began  to  manifest  disaffection  to  the  sacrifice  and  its  lord, 
and  it  became  evident  that  Shishupala  was  master  of  a 
faction  who  might  take  it  upon  themselves  to  prevent  the 
proper  completion  of  the  ceremonies.  Now,  if  a  royal 
sacrifice  were  not  brought  to  a  proper  end,  the  fact  would 
forbode  great  disaster  for  the  kingdom  and  its  subjects. 
Hence  Yudhishthira  showed  great  anxiety  and  did  all  he 
could  to  conciliate  the  angry  king.  He,  however,  like  a 
spoiled  child,  or  like  a  stern  and  bitter  man,  refused  by 
any  means  to  be  placated.  Seeing  this,  Yudhishthira  looked 
toward  Bhlshma  for  advice.  Bhlshma,  however,  took  no 
pains  to  conciliate  the  angry  king.  Laughingly  he  put 
aside  the  gravity  of  Yudhishthira.  "  Wait,"  he  said,  "  O 
king,  till  the  lord  Krishna  wakes  up  to  the  matter !  Can 
the  dog  slay  the  lion  ?  Verily  this  king  looks  very  like  a 
lion,  till  the  lion  is  roused ;  then  we  shall  see  what  we  shall 
see." 

But  Shishupala  heard  the  words  that  Bhlshma  spoke,  and 
being  deeply  galled  at  the  comparison  to  a  dog,  he  ad- 
dressed himself  to  the  venerable  statesman  in  words  that 
were  openly  insulting  and  unrestrained.     He  called  him 

154 


Bhishma's  Story 

an  old  reprobate,  always  prating  of  morality,  and  as  they 
listened  even  his  own  friends  and  allies  were  filled  with 
horror  and  looked  to  see  some  judgment  fall  speedily  on 
the  head  of  one  who  so  forgot  the  dignity  due  to  his  own 
and  equal  rank.  Bhishma,  however,  showed  no  excitement. 
Standing  calmly  there,  he  held  up  his  hand  for  silence,  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  established  he  spoke  to  the  angry  Bhima, 
Yudhishthira's  brother,  whose  red  eyes  showed  that  he 
regarded  the  words  that  had  been  spoken  to  his  revered 
grandfather  as  a  challenge  to  himself. 

Bhishma  s  Story 

"Softly,  O  Bhima,"  said  Bhishma,  "and  listen  to  the 
story  of  this  very  Shishupala.  He  was  born  in  the  kingly 
line,  having  three  eyes  and  four  arms,  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  born  he  brayed  like  an  ass.  And  his  father  and  mother, 
being  affrighted  by  these  omens,  were  making  up  their 
minds  to  abandon  the  child,  when  they  heard  a  voice  speak- 
ing to  them  out  of  the  air  and  saying :  '  Fear  nothing ; 
cherish  this  boy.  His  time  is  not  yet  come.  One  is  already 
born  who  will  slay  him  with  weapons  when  his  end  arrives. 
Before  that  he  will  be  both  fortunate  and  highly  placed.' 
"  Then  the  queen,  his  mother,  much  comforted  by  these 
words,  took  courage,  and  asked:  'Who  is  this  that  shall 
be  the  slayer  of  my  son  ? ' 

"  And  the  voice  answered :  *  He  on  whose  lap  thy  child  will 
be  seated  when  his  third  eye  disappears  and  his  two  added 
arms  fall  away.' 

"  And  lo,  after  this,  the  king  and  queen  of  Chedi  made  a 
round  of  royal  visits  together,  and  wherever  they  went  they 
asked  the  king  whose  guest  they  might  be  at  the  moment 
to  take  their  child  into  his  arms.  But  nowhere  did  he  lose 
the  added  arms,  nor  did  his  third  eye  disappear. 

155 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  c&f  Buddhists 

"  Then,  disappointed,  they  came  back  to  their  own  city  and 

their  own  palace.     And  when  they  had  been  some  time  at 

home  there  came  to  visit  them  the  young  Prince  Krishna 

and  his  elder  brother.      And  they  began  to  play  with  the 

baby.     But  when  Krishna  took  it  on  his  lap,  lo,  before  all, 

the  child's  third  eye  slowly  wrinkled  up  and  disappeared, 

and  the  two  unusual  arms  withered  away.    Then  the  queen 

of  the  Chedis  knew  that  this  was  the  destined  slayer  of 

her  son,  and  falling  on  her  knees,  she  said  : '  O  Lord,  grant 

me  one  boon  ! ' 

"  And  the  Lord  Krishna  answered  :  'Say  on  ! ' 

"  And  she  said  :  '  Promise  me  that  when  my  son  offends 

thee  thou  wilt  forgive  him  ! ' 

"  And  he  answered  :  '  Yea,  if  he  offend  me  even  a  hundred 

times,  yet  a  hundred  times  shall  I  forgive  him.' 

"  This  is  that  Shishupala,"  continued  Bhlshma,  "  who  even 

now,  presuming  on  the  mercy  of  the  Lord,  summons  thee 

to  battle.    Truly  must  he  be  a  portion  of  the  energy  of  the 

Creator,  and  that  energy  the  Almighty  would  now  resume 

within  himself.       It  is  for  this  that  he  may  bring  about 

his  own  destruction,  that  he  is  provoking  so  much  anger 

and  roaring  like  a  tiger  before  us,  caring  nothing  for  the 

result." 

Now  Shishupala's  anger  had  been  mounting  higher   and 

higher  during  Bhlshma's  speech,   and  as  it  finished  he 

shook  his  sword  threateningly  and  said,  "Dotard!  knowest 

thou  not  that  thou  art  at  this  moment  alive  only  by  the 

kindness  of  myself  and  these  other  kings  ?  " 

"Whether  that  be  so  or    not,"  answered  Bhlshma  with 

great  haughtiness  and  calm,  "know  that  I  esteem  all  the 

kings  of  the  earth  but  as  a  straw.    Whether  I  be  slain  like 

a  beast  of  the  field  or  burnt  to  death  in  the  forest  fire, 

whatever  be  the  consequence,  here  do  I  place  my  foot 

156 


The  Fatal  Dice 

on  the  heads  of  you  all.  Here  before  us  stands  the  Lord. 
Him  have  we  worshipped.  Let  him  only  who  desires  a 
speedy  death  enter  into  conflict  with  him.  But  such  a 
one  may  even  summon  him  to  battle — him  of  dark  hue, 
who  is  the  wielder  of  the  discus  and  the  mace — and, 
falling,  he  will  enter  into  and  mingle  with  the  body  of  this 
god ! " 

The  Death  of  Shishupdla 

As  the  solemn  words  of  Bhlshma  ended  all  present 
involuntarily  turned  their  eyes  toward  Krishna.  Intent 
he  stood  there,  looking  quietly  upon  the  enraged  and  anger- 
inflated  Shishupala,  like  one  whose  mind  might  be  summon- 
ing the  celestial  weapons  to  his  aid.  And  when  Shishupala 
laughed  tauntingly,  he  merely  said  :  "  The  cup  of  thy  mis- 
deeds, O  sinful  one,  is  now  full ! "  and  as  he  spoke  the 
flaming  discus  rose  from  behind  him  and,  passing  over  the 
circle  of  kings,  descended  upon  the  helmet  of  Shishupala 
and  clove  him  through  from  head  to  foot.  Then  came 
forth  the  soul  of  that  wicked  one,  as  it  had  been  a  mass  of 
flame,  and,  making  its  own  path,  bowed  itself  down  and 
melted  away  into  the  feet  of  Krishna  himself.  Even  as 
Bhlshma  had  declared,  falling,  he  entered  into  and  was 
mingled  with  the  body  of  that  god. 

Thus  ended  Shishupala,  who  had  sinned  to  a  hundred  and 
one  times  and  been  forgiven.  For  even  the  enemies  of 
the  Lord  go  to  salvation  by  thinking  wholly  upon  him. 

VII.   THE  FA  TAL  DICE 

Now  when  the  imperial  sacrifice  of  Yudhishthira  was  over, 
his  cousin  Duryodhana  continued  for  many  days  to  be  his 
guest  in  the  palace  that  the  brothers  had  built  for  such 
purposes  at  Indraprastha.     And  with  Duryodhana  there 

157 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

stayed  as  friend  and  companion  a  man  who  was  destined 
to  be  his  evil  genius,  an  uncle  of  his,  Sakuni  by  name. 
And  together  they  examined  the  mansion  that  the 
Pandavas  had  built.  And  in  one  of  the  rooms,  coming 
upon  a  crystal  floor,  Prince  Duryodhana  took  it  to  be 
water,  and  drew  aside  his  garments  as  if  to  wade ;  then, 
discovering  his  error,  he  went  about  in  constant  mortifica- 
tion. But  next  day  coming  upon  a  pond,  he  mistook  it  for 
crystal  and  fell  in,  whereupon  he  became  a  mark  for  good- 
natured  raillery.  But  everything  affected  him  with  bitter- 
ness. Crystal  doors  appeared  to  him  to  be  open,  and  open 
doors  he  suspected  to  be  closed,  and  vexation  was  added 
to  vexation  in  his  mind.  Besides  this,  the  beauty  of  walls 
starred  with  jewels  and  halls  with  thousands  of  carven 
pillars  filled  him  with  jealousy,  and  in  his  thoughts  he 
compared  Hastinapura  with  Indraprastha  and  spoke  to 
himself  of  the  Pandavas  as  foes.  It  was  in  this  mood 
that  his  stay  with  his  cousin  ended  and  he  returned  to 
Hastinapura. 

It  was  well  known  that  Yudhishthira  was  sensitive  on  all 
points  that  involved  the  honour  of  the  knighthood.  Now 
there  was  one  matter  that  was  incumbent  upon  the  true 
knight :  just  as  he  must  answer  a  challenge  to  battle,  so  he 
must  comply  with  a  challenge  to  the  dice.  But  the  eldest 
of  the  Pandavas  was  known  to  be  extremely  weak  in  this 
matter.  He  gambled  badly,  and  was  subject  to  the 
intoxication  of  the  dice.  When  the  stakes  were  being 
thrown  he  would  lose  his  head  and  throw  wildly,  and  none 
could  at  such  a  time  gain  his  attention  to  reason  with  him. 
For  this  reason  it  was  the  habit  of  Yudhishthira  to  avoid 
gambling,  unless  it  was  made  imperative  by  a  knightly 
challenge. 
Now  Sakuni,  the  uncle  and  companion  of  Duryodhana,  in 

158 


The  Challenge 

spite  of  his  high  position  and  associations,  was  a  gambler 
who  carried  his  skill  with  the  dice  to  the  height  of  sharp 
practice.  In  this  there  was  none  living  who  surpassed 
him,  and  like  all  such  men  he  was  ever  hungry  for  new 
victims.  Sakuni  now  therefore  began  to  harp  on  the 
well-known  weakness  of  Yudhishthira,  plying  Duryo- 
dhana  with  the  demand  that  he  should  be  invited  to 
Hastinapura  to  play. 

The  Challenge 

The  permission  of  the  aged  Dhritarashtra,  always  like 
clay  in  the  hands  of  his  eldest  son,  was  not  difficult  to 
obtain,  and  Vidura  himself,  in  spite  of  his  protests,  was 
dispatched  to  Indraprastha  with  the  challenge  to  Yud- 
hishthira to  come  to  throw  the  dice.  A  large  pleasure- 
house  was  rapidly  erected  meanwhile,  and  every  prepara- 
tion was  made  to  receive  the  royal  guests. 
Yudhishthira  was  very  grave  when  he  learned  at 
Indraprastha  the  errand  on  which  Vidura  had  been 
sent.  "Gambling  is  ever  productive  of  dissension,"  he 
said  ;  "tell  me  who  are  to  be  the  other  players?" 
One  by  one  Vidura  mentioned  their  names,  and  at  each 
Yudhishthira  and  his  brothers  grew  more  thoughtful. 
They  were  all  men  known  for  their  skill  and  for  their 
unscrupulous  and  greedy  methods  of  play.  At  last,  how- 
ever, realizing  that  the  invitation  was  also  the  king's 
order,  Yudhishthira  gave  directions  that  all  should  be 
made  ready  for  the  journey.  "I  think,"  he  said,  "it  is 
the  call  of  fate.  What  is  a  man  to  fight  against  destiny  ?  " 
And  with  heavy  hearts  the  heroes  and  Draupadl  set  forth 
for  Hastinapura,  where  they  were  received  in  right  royal 
fashion,  and  as  soon  as  their  fatigue  was  gone  conducted 
to  the  gambling-table. 

159 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

With  manifest  reluctance,  acceding  only  in  obedience  to 
the  royal  wish  and  the  honour  of  his  order,  Yudhishthira 
sat  down  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled  court  to  play 
with  Sakuni.  And  Dhritarashtra  himself  was  present, 
together  with  Bhlshma  and  Drona  and  Vidura  and  all 
the  ministers.  And  it  was  openly  announced,  in  spite  of 
the  irregularity,  that  Duryodhana  would  pay  the  stakes 
that  Sakuni  might  lose. 

But  once  Yudhishthira  had  begun  to  play  he  became,  as 
all  present  had  known  he  would,  like  a  man  intoxicated. 
At  every  throw  he  was  pronounced  the  loser,  and  yet  each 
time,  with  pale  face  and  frenzied  hands,  he  shouted  for 
higher  and  more  precious  stakes.  And  the  grave  persons 
present  sat  with  heads  bowed  and  faces  hidden  in  their 
hands.  And  the  Pandava  brothers  held  themselves  still, 
with  breath  indrawn,  feeling  themselves  at  the  disposal 
of  their  brother,  who  was  also  their  sovereign,  though 
their  hearts  were  bursting  with  rage  and  they  longed  to 
seize  his  adversary  by  the  throat  and  deprive  him  of  life. 
Only  the  insolent  Duryodhana  laughed  aloud,  and  grew 
flushed  with  triumph  as  the  madness  of  Yudhishthira 
became  more  and  more  apparent  to  the  whole  of  that 
august  assembly.  But  the  weak  Dhritarashtra  was  full  of 
fear,  for  he  could  feel  the  thoughts  of  all  present  and 
knew  well  enough,  in  his  timid  way,  that  a  storm  was 
here  being  set  in  motion  that  would  not  end  till  all  the 
house  should  be  uprooted.  And  Vidura,  sitting  beside 
him,  reminded  him  how  asses  had  brayed  when  Duryo- 
dhana was  born.  And  the  monarch  shivered,  yet  had  not 
strength  to  stop  the  play. 


1 60 


The  Loss  of  Draupadi 

The  Loss  of  Draupadi 

Meanwhile  the  madness  of  Yudhishthira  progressed.  At 
each  cast  he  lost  and  Sakuni  won.  Jewels  went,  the  royal 
treasures  went,  chariots,  servants,  stables,  banners — all 
kinds  of  possessions  followed.  Then  the  play  entered  on 
a  more  dangerous  phase.  The  king  staked  his  kingdom 
and  lost.  Yudhishthira  was  now  demented,  beyond  all 
hope  of  reaching  by  arguments,  and  one  by  one,  in  the 
passion  of  the  gambler,  he  staked  his  brothers,  himself, 
and  Draupadi — and  lost  1 

"Aha!"  cried  the  wicked  Duryodhana,  leaping  to  his 
feet  in  unconcealed  delight.  "  Go,  Vidura,  and  bring  us 
the  virtuous  Draupadi,  that  the  Pandava  queen  may  sweep 
our  floors ! "  But  Vidura  cursed  Duryodhana  for  the 
wickedness  that  would  insult  a  woman  and  bring  a  doom 
upon  them  all,  and  a  courtier  had  to  be  sent  for  Draupadi. 
When  at  last  the  wife  of  Yudhishthira  stood  before  them, 
and  was  told  that  she  had  been  made  the  slave  of  Duryo- 
dhana's  faction  by  her  husband,  she  asked  in  what  condition 
Yudhishthira  had  been  when  he  offered  such  a  stake. 
And  when  she  was  told  that  he  had  first  lost  himself  to 
Sakuni,  and  afterwards  staked  her,  she  answered  in 
triumph  that  she  repudiated  the  transaction.  How  could 
one  who  was  himself  a  slave  possess  another  who  was 
free,  and  so  dispose  of  her?  And  all  present  felt  the 
soundness  of  her  reasoning,  yet  would  not  Duryodhana 
admit  himself  foiled. 

Then  when  the  dispute  was  at  its  height,  and  the  lawless- 
ness of  Duryodhana  in  the  presence  of  Draupadi  was 
threatening  to  provoke  Bhlma  and  Arjuna  to  his  slaughter, 
at  that  very  instant  a  jackal  was  heard  to  wail  in  the 
vicinity  of  Dhritarashtra.     And  in  answer  to  the  wail  of 

l  161 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

the  jackal  there  came  the  braying  of  an  ass  from  without, 
and  certain  birds,  also,  gave  hoarse  and  terrible  cries. 
Then  Bhlshma  and  Drona  and  Vidura  turned  quietly  and 
looked  at  each  other,  and  Dhritarashtra  grew  pale  and 
began  to  tremble,  for  he  had  heard  the  sounds  and  under- 
stood. "  Ask  a  boon,  Draupadi !  "  he  commanded,  putting 
up  a  shaking  hand  to  still  the  clamour  that  was  going  on 
around  him.  "Ask  a  boon,  my  daughter.  I  will  grant 
unto  thee  whatever  thou  sayest !  " 

At  those  words  Draupadi  looked  up.  "  I  who  am  free," 
she  said  quietly  and  proudly,  "demand  the  freedom  of 
my  son's  father,  Yudhishthira  !  " 
"  Granted,"  said  Dhritarashtra.  "  Ask  again  1  " 
"And  the  freedom  of  all  his  brothers,"  continued  Drau- 
padi, "with  their  weapons,  their  chariots,  and  their  per- 
sonal belongings ! " 

"It  is  given!"  said   Dhritarashtra.    " Only,  O  princess, 
ask  more ! " 

"  By  no  means,"  said  Draupadi  firmly  and  disdainfully. 
"The  Pandavas,  armed  and  free,  can  conquer  the  whole 
world.  They  need  owe  nothing  to  a  boon  ! " 
And  Kama,  looking  on,  said  to  himself:  "Was  there  ever 
such  a  woman  ?  The  Pandavas  were  sinking  in  an  ocean 
of  despair,  and  the  princess  of  Panchala  hath  made  herself 
a  ship  to  carry  them  in  safety  to  the  shore !  " 
Immediately  amongst  the  new-freed  princes  arose  a  fiery 
argument  as  to  whether  their  first  duty  was  not  the  slaughter 
of  Duryodhana  for  the  insults  done  to  Draupadi,  and  it  was 
averred  by  those  who  were  present  that  in  the  heat  of  his 
anger  smoke  issued  from  the  ears  of  Bhlma.  But  Yudhish- 
thira, who  had  regained  his  habitual  calm,  pacified  them. 
He  turned  to  Dhritarashtra  to  ask  what  might  be  the  royal 
wish. 
162 


The  Loss  of  DraupadI 

"  Oh,  go  back  to  your  own  city  .and  take  your  wealth  with 
you  and  rule  over  your  kingdom,"  entreated  the  old  man, 
now  thoroughly  frightened.  "  You  fortunately  are  open 
to  reason.  Leave  us  for  Indraprastha,  and  that  as  quickly 
as  possible!  I  only  beg  that  you  will  bear  no  malice 
against  us  for  what  has  passed ! "  And  the  Pandavas  were 
glad  enough  to  carry  out  his  instructions.  With  every 
formality  of  courtesy,  therefore,  they  ordered  their  chariots 
and  escorts  and  set  forth  for  Indraprastha  without  delay. 
Duryodhana  had  been  absent  when  his  father  Dhritarashtra 
in  his  panic  had  urged  the  Pandavas  to  depart  from 
Hastinapura.  Now,  however,  his  evil  counsellors  crowded 
round  him,  exclaiming:  "We  are  undone!  All  that  we 
had  won  the  old  man  has  given  away!  He  has  given  their 
wealth  back  to  the  enemy." 

Duryodhana  hastened  to  his  father's  side  and,  without 
frightening  him  by  any  reproaches,  represented  to  him  the 
danger  of  allowing  the  Pandavas,  after  the  insults  showered 
upon  them,  again  to  have  access  to  their  friends,  their 
armies,  and  their  stores.  Dhritarashtra  listened  and 
wavered,  and  at  this  point  Duryodhana  suggested  as  a 
fantastic  wager  that  they  should  be  brought  back  to  throw 
the  dice  once  more,  and  whichever  side  lost  should  retire 
into  the  forest  for  twelve  years  to  live  as  ascetics  and  pass 
the  thirteenth  year  in  some  city  unrecognized  by  any,  or,  if 
recognized,  pass  another  twelve  years  in  the  forest  as  forfeit. 
During  this  time  Dhritarashtra  himself,  urged  his  son, 
could  make  himself  the  master  of  widespread  alliances 
and  of  a  vast  standing  army,  not  easily  to  be  conquered  by 
five  wandering  princes.  So  might  they  still  retrieve  the 
folly  of  having  allowed  them  to  depart. 
The  old  king  listened  and,  fatally  compliant,  said:  "Then 
let  them  return.     Bring  them  back." 

163 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

"  No,  no ! "  cried  all  the  ministers,  and  even  Kama,  who 
surrounded  him.  "  No,  no !  Let  there  now  be  peace  !  "  But 
Dhritarashtra  said  :  "  My  son's  desire  shall  be  fulfilled. 
Let  them  be  recalled  !  " 

Then  even  Gandhari,  the  aged  queen,  came  into  the 
council-chamber  and  implored  the  king  her  husband  to 
cast  off  Duryodhana,  their  eldest  son,  rather  than  again 
allow  him  to  have  his  way. 

But  Dhritarashtra's  was  the  obstinacy  of  a  weak  intellect. 
He  said  :  "  If  our  race  is  about  to  be  destroyed,  I  am  ill  able 
to  prevent  it.  Let  my  son's  desire  be  fulfilled.  Let  the 
Pandavas  return  ! " 

The  Renewal  of  the  Contest 

Yudhishthira  and  his  brothers  had  gone  far  along  the  road 
when  the  royal  messenger  overtook  them  with  the  king's 
command  for  their  return.  There  was  no  great  need  for 
compliance.  They  knew  well  that  the  play  was  false. 
They  might  easily  have  made  some  courteous  excuse  and 
pushed  on  to  their  own  city.  But  the  mind  of  a  man  under 
the  sway  of  calamity  becomes  deranged.  Yudhishthira,  at 
the  words  "  Return  and  play !  "  took  on  the  look  of  a  man 
under  a  spell.  And  in  due  course,  to  the  despair  of  all 
their  friends,  the  Pandavas  once  more  entered  Hastina- 
pura  and  addressed  themselves  to  play. 
Once  more  the  dice  were  thrown.  Again  Sakuni  cried : 
"  I  have  won ! "  And  the  Pandavas  stood  up  masters 
of  themselves,  but  doomed  to  live  twelve  years  in  the 
forests  and  a  thirteenth  year  unrecognized  in  some  city ; 
from  there,  if  recognized,  to  return  to  the  wild  woods  for 
another  twelve  years  of  exile. 

But  as  they  went  forth,  grim  and  silent,  to  their  exile,  wise 
men  marked  the  manner  of  their  going  and  read  in  it  of  a 
164 


The  Kirat-Arjuna 

terrible  return — a  return  that  should  be  disastrous  to  all 
their  foes. 

VIII.   THE  KIRAT-ARJUNA 

Now  while  the  Pandavas,  in  accordance  with  their  defeat 
at  dice,  were  living  in  exile  in  the  forest,  the  mind  of 
Yudhishthira  brooded  much  upon  their  weakness  as  com- 
pared with  the  strength  and  resources  of  Duryodhana.  He 
clearly  foresaw  that  at  some  future  time  the  differences 
between  their  cousins  and  themselves  would  have  to  be 
decided  by  the  fortunes  of  war.  And  he  remembered  that 
Duryodhana  was  in  actual  possession  of  the  throne  and 
treasury,  and  that  all  the  friends  of  their  youth  whose 
prowess  on  the  field  they  knew  were  his  friends  and,  he 
felt  sure,  devoted  to  him.  Drona  and  his  pupils,  above  all 
Kama,  would,  he  feared,  fight  and  die  if  need  be,  not  for 
the  Pandavas,  but  for  Duryodhana,  son  of  Dhritarashtra, 
the  reigning  king. 

Just  at  the  time  when  the  eldest  of  the  Pandavas  was 
possessed  by  these  forebodings  a  holy  man  came  to  visit 
the  retreat  of  the  brothers,  and  the  instant  he  saw  Yudhish- 
thira he  began  to  answer  the  doubt  that  was  in  his  mind. 
"Thou  art  troubled,  O  king,"  he  said,  "about  the  rival 
strength  of  thy  friends  and  thy  foes.  For  that  have  I  come 
to  thee.  There  is  none  in  the  world  who  can  defeat  thy 
brother  Arjuna,  if  once  he  betakes  himself  to  the  mountains 
and  obtains  the  vision  of  the  Great  God.  By  his  hand 
are  all  thine  enemies  destined  to  be  slain.  Let  Arjuna  go 
to  the  mountains,  and  there  alone  let  him  fast  and  pray." 
Arjuna,  therefore,  thus  selected,  took  vows  of  austerity, 
promising  to  be  turned  aside  by  nothing  that  he  might 
meet,  and  set  out  for  the  Himalayas.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountains,  when  he  reached  them,  he  found  a  holy  man, 

165 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

seated  beneath  a  tree,  and  by  him  he  was  told  that  any 
spiritual  gift  that  he  chose  might  be  his  with  eternal 
bliss  ;  he  had  only  to  name  what  he  wished.  But  the 
knight  replied  disdainfully  that  he  had  left  his  brothers  in 
the  forest  to  the  south,  and  had  himself  come  thither  to 
obtain  divine  weapons.  Was  he  going  to  accept  bliss  and 
leave  them  unaided  ?  And  the  holy  man,  who  was  none 
other  than  the  god  Indra  in  disguise,  blessed  him  and 
approved  his  resolution.  And  Arjuna,  passing  by  this 
temptation,  pushed  on  to  the  higher  mountains  where,  if 
anywhere,  he  might  expect  his  vision. 
Passing  through  the  thick  forests,  he  soon  reached  the 
very  breast  of  the  mountains  and  established  himself 
there,  amidst  trees  and  streams,  listening  to  the  songs  of 
birds,  and  surrounded  by  fair  blossoms,  to  practise  his 
vow  of  prayer,  vigil,  and  fast.  Clad  in  scant  clothes  made 
of  grass  and  deer-skin,  he  lived  upon  withered  leaves  and 
fallen  fruits,  and  month  after  month  he  reduced  his  allow- 
ance of  these  till  in  the  fourth  month  he  was  able  to  live 
on  air  alone,  taking  no  other  food  whatever.  And  his  head 
looked  like  lightning  because  of  his  constant  bathing  and 
purification,  and  he  could  stand  day  after  day  with  arms 
upraised  without  support,  till  the  earth  began  to  smoke 
and  the  heavenly  beings  to  tremble  from  the  heat  of 
Arjuna's  penance. 

The  Boar 

One  day,  as  he  performed  his  morning  worship,  offering 
flowers  to  a  little  clay  image  of  the  Great  God,  a  boar 
rushed  at  him,  seeking  to  slay  him.  And  Arjuna,  in  whom 
the  instincts  of  the  soldier  and  the  sportsman  were  ever 
uppermost,  seized  his  bow  and  arrows  and  rose  from  his 
worship  to  kill  the  creature.  At  that  moment  the  forests 
166 


i"N   vi  ifij 


fty 

'-"■: 

ad 


' : 


XIII 

KIRAT-ARJUNA 

Nanda  Lal  Bose 
Page  1 66 


i 


■ 


j;i 


The  Boar 

had  grown  strangely  and  solemnly  still.  The  sound  of 
springs  and  streams  and  birds  had  suddenly  stopped.  But 
Arjuna,  with  his  mind  still  on  his  half-finished  worship,  did 
not  notice  this.  Stringing  his  bow,  he  shot  an  arrow  and 
hit  the  boar.  At  the  self-same  instant  the  beast  was  struck 
by  another  dart,  seemingly  as  powerful,  and  with  a  roar  he 
fell  and  died.  But  in  Arjuna  the  wrath  of  a  sportsman 
had  blazed  up,  and  apparently  in  his  unknown  rival  also, 
each  to  find  his  own  shot  interfered  with  at  the  last 
moment.  For  there  stood  towering  above  him,  as  angry 
as  himself,  a  huntsman,  seemingly  some  king  of  the 
mountain  tribes,  accompanied  by  his  queen  and  a  whole 
train  of  merry  followers.  His  form  was  blazing  with 
energy,  and  he  was  saying :  "  How  dared  you  shoot  ?  The 
quarry  was  mine !  " 

"  Let  us  fight  for  it  I "  said  Arjuna,  and  the  two  began  to 
turn  their  arrows  on  each  other. 

To  the  mortal's  amazement,  the  body  of  the  huntsman 
swallowed  up  his  darts  without  seeming  any  the  worse, 
and  Arjuna  could  only  shoot  till  his  quiver  was  empty. 
"  Let's  wrestle,  then ! "  he  cried,  and  threw  himself  upon 
his  opponent.  He  was  met  by  the  touch  of  a  hand  on  his 
heart,  and  instead  of  continuing  his  combat  he  turned  at 
once  to  finish  his  worship.  Taking  up  a  garland  of  flowers, 
he  threw  it  about  the  image,  but  the  next  instant  it  was  on 
the  neck  of  the  mountain  king. 

"Great  Godl  Great  God!"  cried  Arjuna,  falling  in  a 
rapture  at  the  feet  of  his  unlooked-for  guest.  "Pardon 
thou  my  blows !  " 

But  the  Great  God,  well  pleased,  put  out  his  hand  and 
blessed  his  worshipper  and  granted  him  the  boon  of  divine 
weapons,  such  as  could  be  hurled  by  the  mind,  by  the 
eyes,  by   words,  and   by   the   bow.     Never  should  such 

167 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  Sf  Buddhists 

weapons  be  used  till  all  others  had  been  exhausted.  Never 
should  they  be  used  against  feeble  foes.  For  so  they  might 
in  truth  destroy  the  universe.  Then  the  Great  God  gave  to 
Arjuna  Gandlva,  the  divine  bow,  and,  blessing  him,  turned 
and  left  that  mountain  with  its  vales  and  caves  and  snowy 
heights,  and  went  up  into  the  sky  with  all  his  train. 
Such  was  the  Kirat-Arjuna,  Arjuna's  vision  of  Mahadeva, 
the  Great  God,  as  a  Kirata,  or  huntsman. 

IX.  THE  MAIDEN  WHO  BECAME 
A  KNIGHT 

Now  it  happened  that  the  eldest  queen  of  Drupada,  king 
of  the  Panchalas,  was  childless,  and  had  been  so  for  many 
years.  And  Drupada  worshipped  Shiva  daily,  praying 
that  a  son,  not  a  daughter,  might  be  born  unto  him ;  and 
dedicated  this  son  in  advance  to  the  task  of  aiding  in  the 
destruction  of  Drona. 

At  last,  after  much  prayer  and  severe  austerity,  Shiva 
himself  blessed  him,  saying :  "  It  is  enough,  O  king !  Thou 
shalt  in  due  time  have  a  child  who  will  be  first  a  daughter 
and  then  a  son.  This  strange  thing  is  decreed  for  thee. 
It  will  not  fail!" 

Then  Drupada  returned  home  and  told  his  queen  of  the 
divine  promise  that  had  been  made  to  him.  And  she, 
being  a  woman  of  strong  faith,  took  the  blessing  to  heart 
and  built  her  whole  mind  upon  this  decree  of  destiny. 
In  due  time  accordingly  the  queen  gave  birth  to  a 
daughter  of  great  beauty,  but  from  the  strength  of  her 
belief  that  the  promise  of  Shiva  would  be  fulfilled  she 
actually  gave  it  out  that  she  had  borne  a  son.  And 
Drupada,  concurring  in  the  proclamation,  had  all  the  rites 
performed  that  were  proper  on  the  birth  of  a  son.  The  mother 
carefully  kept  her  own  counsel  and  placed  her  trust  firmly 
1 68 


The  Maiden  who  became  a  Knight 

in  Shiva,  and  the  father  everywhere  said  :  "  She  is  a  son  "  ; 
and  no  one  in  all  the  city  suspected  that  that  concealed 
daughter  was  not  a  son.  And  she  was  called  Shikhandin, 
because  that  name  had  a  feminine  form  which  was  Shikhan- 
dinl,  and  for  the  education  of  this  Shikhandin-Shikhan- 
dini  every  care  was  taken  by  Drupada.  She  learned 
writing  and  painting  and  all  the  arts  that  were  proper  to 
a  man.  For  her  parents  lived  daily  in  expectation  of  a 
miracle,  and  it  behoved  them  to  be  ready  for  it  when  it 
should  happen.  And  in  shooting  and  fencing  the  child 
became  a  disciple  of  the  royal  guru  Drona,  and  was  in 
no  way  inferior  to  other  princes  in  the  management  of 
weapons. 

Then,  as  she  was  beginning  to  grow  up,  her  mother  urged 
her  husband  to  find  a  wife  for  their  supposed  son  and 
marry  him  in  the  sight  of  the  whole  world  to  some 
princess  of  royal  family.  Then  Drupada  sent  embassies 
of  betrothal  in  all  directions,  and  finally  selected  a  maiden 
to  whom  marriage  was  to  be  proposed  on  behalf  of 
Shikhandin.  And  this  maiden  was  a  king's  daughter. 
But  now,  for  the  first  time,  the  dread  secret  began  to  be 
whispered,  and  it  came  to  the  ears  of  the  royal  father  of 
the  princess  who  was  promised  to  Shikhandin  in  marriage. 
And  he,  thinking  he  had  been  purposely  insulted  in  that 
dearest  point,  the  honour  of  the  names  of  the  women  of 
his  house,  sent  messages  of  threats  and  vengeance  to 
Drupada.  He  would,  he  declared,  destroy  his  city,  and 
kill  both  Drupada  and  his  daughter,  and  place  a  creature 
of  his  own  on  the  throne  of  the  Panchalas. 
At  this  crisis  the  sense  of  his  own  guilt  made  Drupada 
somewhat  weak.  However,  the  queen  publicly  took  the 
responsibility  of  the  deception  upon  herself.  She  had, 
she  told  her  husband  in  the  presence  of   others,  had    a 

169 


Myths 


ts  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

promise  made  to  her  by  the  god  Shiva,  and  relying  on  this 
promise  she  had  deceived  him,  so  that  he  had  publicly, 
advertised  the  world  of  the  birth  of  a  son.  She  had  been 
altogether  responsible,  and  even  now  she  believed  in  the 
word  of  the  Great  God :  "  Born  a  daughter,  this  child 
would  become  a  son !  " 

This  statement  Drupada  laid  before  his  councillors,  and 
they  conferred  all  together  for  the  protection  of  city  and 
subjects  against  the  intended  invader.  In  the  first  place, 
they  refused  to  admit  that  any  such  insult  as  was  averred 
had  been  offered  to  the  brother  monarch.  The  proposals 
of  marriage  had  been  made  in  all  good  faith  and  were 
perfectly  fit  and  proper  proposals.  Shikhandin,  they 
repeated,  was  a  man ;  he  was  not  a  woman.  Then  they 
refortified  the  city  and  strengthened  the  defences.  And 
last  of  all,  extraordinary  ceremonies  of  worship  were 
instituted,  and  the  king  appealed  to  the  gods  for  help  in 
this  crisis,  at  every  temple  in  his  land. 
Nevertheless  he  had  his  hours  of  depression,  when  he 
would  go  to  talk  the  situation  over  with  his  wife ;  and  she 
did  all  she  could  to  encourage  him.  Every  effort  was 
directed  to  keeping  up  his  courage.  Homage  to  the  gods 
was  good,  she  said,  when  seconded  by  human  endeavour; 
no  one  could  tell  how  good.  Hand  in  hand,  these  two 
things  were  always  known  to  lead  to  success.  Un- 
doubtedly success  awaited  them.     Who  could  dispute  it  ? 

The  Resolve  of  Shikhandini 

While  the  husband  and  wife  talked  thus  together  their 

daughter  Shikhandini  listened,  and  her  heart  grew  heavy 

as  she  realized  the  unspoken  despair  that  all  this  insistent 

cheerfulness  was  meant  to  conceal.     It  was  the  sense  that 

they  were  to  blame  that  so  undermined  their  courage,  and  the 

170 


The  Resolve  of  Shikhandini 

root  of  trouble  and  fault  alike  was  in  herself.  Oh,  how 
worthless  she  must  be  !  What  a  good  thing  it  would  be 
if  she  could  wander  off  and  never  be  heard  of  again ! 
Even  if  she  died,  what  matter  ?  Losing  her  would  only 
rid  her  unhappy  parents  of  a  burden  that  might  possibly 
cost  them,  in  any  case,  their  lives  and  kingdom. 
Thinking  thus  in  heavy  despondency,  she  rode  out  of  the 
city  and  wandered  on  and  on  alone  till  she  came  to  the 
edge  of  a  dark  and  lonely  forest.  Now  this  forest  had  the 
reputation  of  being  haunted.  There  stood  in  it  an  aban- 
doned grange,  with  high  walls  and  gateway,  and  rich  with 
fragrance  of  smoke  and  grain.  But  though  one  might 
wander  through  this  house  day  after  day,  one  would  never 
meet  the  owner  of  the  house,  and  yet  never  feel  that  it  had 
no  owner.  It  was,  in  fact,  the  abode  of  a  powerful  spirit, 
a  yaksha,  known  as  Sthuna.  He  was  full  of  kindness,  and 
yet  the  name  of  the  house  was  a  word  of  dread  amongst 
the  peasant  folk  in  the  country-side  because  of  the  empti- 
ness and  mystery  that  hung  about  it. 

But  of  all  this  Shikhandini  had  no  idea  when  she  entered 
the  place.  She  was  attracted  by  the  open  door  and  the 
peace  and  silence ;  and  having  entered,  she  sat  down  on 
the  floor  plunged  in  sorrow,  and  remained  so  for  hours  and 
days,  forgetting  to  eat. 

The  kind-hearted  yaksha  saw  her,  and  grew  more  and  more 
disturbed  at  her  evident  distress.  Nothing  would  distract 
his  visitor  from  her  depth  of  thought,  and  her  forgetfulness 
of  herself  seemed  endless.  At  last  the  friendly  yaksha, 
unable  to  comfort  her,  could  do  nothing  but  show  himself 
to  her,  and  urged  her  to  tell  him  what  it  was  she  wanted. 
So  he  did  this,  begging  her  at  the  same  time  to  tell  him 
her  trouble,  and  encouraging  her  to  trust  him  by  every 

means  in  his  power.  He  was  a  follower,  he  said,  of  Kuvera, 

171 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  @*  Buddhists 

God  of  Wealth.  There  was  nothing  that  he  could  not 
grant  if  he  were  asked.  He  could  even  bestow  the  impos- 
sible. Let  the  princess  only  tell  him  her  trouble.  "  Oh ! " 
broke  out  Shikhandini,  unable  to  resist  kindness  so  over- 
whelming when  her  need  was  so  desperate.  "  Oh !  make  me 
a  man,  a  perfect  man !  My  father  is  about  to  be  destroyed 
and  our  country  to  be  invaded ;  and  if  I  were  a  man  it 
would  not  happen !  Of  thy  grace,  great  yaksha,  make  me 
a  man,  and  let  me  keep  that  manhood  till  my  father  is 
saved  !  "     And  poor  Shikhandini  began  to  weep. 

Shikhandini  attains  her  Desire 
This  was  more  than  her  kind-hearted  host  could  bear,  and, 
strange  as  it  may  sound,  he  became  eager  to  do  anything 
in  the  world,  even  the  absurd  thing  she  asked  for,  if  only 
it  would  comfort  the  unhappy  lady.  So  then  and  there  he 
made  a  covenant  with  her.  He  would  give  her  his  blazing 
form  and  his  manhood  and  all  his  strength,  and  he  would 
himself  become  a  woman  in  her  place  and  remain  hidden 
in  his  house.  But  when  her  father  should  again  be  safe 
she  was  to  return  and  once  more  make  the  exchange.  She 
would  once  more  be  Shikhandini  the  princess,  and  he 
would  again  be  Sthuna  the  yaksha. 

No  words  can  paint  the  joy  of  the  knight  Shikhandin  as 
he  left  the  presence  of  the  yaksha  and  went  forth  to  save 
his  father  and  his  father's  city  from  the  sword.  But  alas 
for  the  poor  yaksha!  It  happened  within  a  day  or  two 
that  his  master,  the  God  of  Wealth,  made  a  royal  progress 
through  those  parts  and,  noticing  that  Sthuna  did  not 
present  himself,  sent  to  order  him  into  his  presence. 
And  when  the  poor  shrinking  yaksha,  in  his  altered  garb 
and  form,  appeared  before  him  in  shamefaced  fashion, 
Kuvera  his  king,  between  laughter  and  disgust,  hotly 
172 


The  Story  of  the  Lady  Amba 

declared  :  "This  shall  not  be  undone  !  You  shall  remain  a 
woman  and  she  shall  remain  a  man  ! ':  And  then  softening 
a  little,  as  he  saw  the  look  of  fright  on  the  yaks/la's  face, 
he  added:  "At  least,  it  shall  be  so  until  Shikhandin's 
death.  After  that  this  foolish  wretch  can  take  back  his 
own  form!" 

And  in  due  time,  all  being  safe  and  at  peace,  the  prince 
Shikhandin  returned  to  Sthuna,  as  he  had  promised,  to 
give  up  his  treasured  manhood.  And  when  the  yaksha  saw 
that  in  the  heart  of  this  mortal  there  was  no  guile  he  was 
much  touched  and  told  him  the  truth — that  he  had  himself 
been  doomed  to  persist  in  his  newly  acquired  womanhood. 
And  he  comforted  the  young  knight  for  the  injury  he 
had  unwittingly  done  him,  saying:  "All  this  was  destiny, 
Shikhandin !  It  could  not  have  been  prevented." 
Thus  was  fulfilled  the  blessing  of  Shiva,  spoken  over 
Drupada:  "The  child  that  thou  shalt  have,  O  king,  shall 
first  be  a  daughter  and  then  a  son ! "  And  thus  it  came 
about  that  there  was  amongst  the  princes  and  soldiers  of 
that  period  one  who,  though  he  had  been  born  a  woman, 
was  actually  a  man  and  known  as  Shikhandin,  maiden 
and  knight. 

But  to  Bhlshma  only  was  it  revealed  that  this  Shikhandin 
was  no  other  than  Amba,  who  had  been  born  a  second  time 
for  the  very  purpose  of  his  destruction. 

X.  THE  STORY  OF  THE  LADY  AMBA 
Now  Bhlshma,  the  great  knight,  was  guardian  of  the 
imperial  house  of  the  Kurus.  And  this  Bhlshma  had 
made  a  vow  in  his  youth  that  he  would  never  marry,  and 
never,  though  he  was  heir-apparent,  seat  himself  on  his 
father's  throne.  And  this  vow  he  made  in  order  to  enable 
his  father  to  marry  a  certain   fisher-maid,  SatyavatI  by 

173 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

name,  on  whom  he  had  set  his  heart.  And  it  came  to 
pass  that  when  Bhlshma's  father,  Shamtanu,  was  dead, 
Bhishma  set  on  the  throne  his  own  half-brother,  Vichi- 
travlrya.  And  it  was  necessary  that  he  should  find  a 
suitable  marriage  for  this  brother  in  order  that  the 
royal  succession  might  be  duly  secured.  And  he  heard 
that  the  bridal  choice  of  the  three  daughters  of  the  king 
of  Benares — Amba,  Ambika,  and  Ambalika — was  about 
to  take  place,  and  that  all  the  kings  and  princes  of  the 
earth  were  bidden,  their  father  having  announced  that  his 
daughters  should  have  for  their  dowry  the  courage  of  the 
bravest  knight.  So  they  were  to  be  borne  away  by  that 
prince  whose  unaided  might  should  win  them  from  all  the 
rest.  Nor  did  the  king  of  Benares  dream,  when  he  made 
this  announcement,  that  his  eldest  daughter  Amba  was 
already  secretly  betrothed  to  a  certain  king,  Shalwa  by 
name;  nor  did  the  princess  think  it  necessary  to  speak  to 
her  father  of  the  matter,  for  she  made  sure  that  her  true 
love,  strengthened  by  her  faith  and  the  sure  prospect  of 
immediate  happiness,  would  overbear  all  obstacles  and, 
displaying  his  prowess  before  the  whole  assembled  world, 
would  carry  her  off  as  the  prize  of  victory.  But  alas !  when 
Bhishma  heard  of  this  bridal  tournament  he  decided  that 
the  opportunity  was  an  excellent  one  to  secure  suitable 
queens  for  the  young  Vichitravlrya,  and  he  determined  to 
seize  the  three  maidens  and  do  combat  for  them  against 
all  comers. 

In  accordance  with  this  purpose,  therefore,  Bhishma  set 
out  for  the  city  of  Benares  as  a  simple  gentleman  without 
a  retinue.  Arriving  at  the  royal  lists,  he  beheld  the  three 
maidens,  all  unrivalled  for  beauty  and  richly  robed  and 
ornamented,  and  before  them,  ranged  on  thrones  and  in 
cars,    under     royal     umbrellas     and     pearl-embroidered 

174 


The  Challenge 

canopies,  each  with  his  proper  cognizance  blazoned 
on  his  banner,  all  the  greatest  of  the  earth. 
For  a  moment  the  prince  paused  to  survey  the  scene; 
then,  with  a  voice  that  was  like  the  roaring  of  a  lion,  he 
sounded  three  times  the  great  battle-cry  that  was  to 
summon  his  rivals  to  mortal  combat. 

The  Challenge 

"  Bhlshma,  son  of  Shamtanu,  seizes  these  maidens.  Let 
who  will  rescue  them !  By  force  do  I  seize  them,  from 
amongst  men  before  your  very  eyes !  " 
No  one  could  stir  while  the  challenge  was  being  sounded, 
and  as  for  the  third  time  the  cry  died  away  Bhishma's 
charioteer,  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  turned  his  battle- 
chariot  and  swiftly  drove  down  upon  that  part  of  the  lists 
where  the  three  princesses  waited  surrounded  by  their 
ladies.  It  was  not  a  moment  before  their  attendants  had 
been  made  to  place  them  on  Bhishma's  car,  with  a  line  of 
his  servants  drawn  up  in  front  of  them,  and  even  while  the 
great  counter-challenge  was  ringing  out  on  all  sides,  and 
angry  kings  had  risen,  with  swords  unsheathed,  to  leap  to 
chariot  or  elephant  or  horseback,  as  the  case  might  be,  he 
stood  alert  and  smiling,  with  bow  drawn  and  his  back  to 
the  royal  maidens,  ready  to  do  battle  for  his  prize  against 
a  world  in  arms.  Never  had  there  been  an  archer  like 
Bhlshma.  With  a  shower  of  arrows  he  stopped  the  rush 
that  came  upon  him  from  all  sides  at  once.  His  part  was 
like  that  of  Indra  fighting  against  the  crowds  of  asuras. 
Laughingly  with  his  blazing  darts  did  he  cut  down  the 
magnificent  standards,  all  decked  with  gold,  of  the 
advancing  kings.  In  that  combat  he  overthrew  their 
horses,  their  elephants,  and  their  charioteers,  each  with  a 
single  arrow,  till,  seeing  how  light  was  the  hand  and  how 

175 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &?  Buddhists 

true  was  the  aim  of  Bhlshma,  son  of  Shamtanu,  all  the 
kings  of  the  earth  broke  ranks  and  accepted  their  defeat. 
And  he,  having  vanquished  so  many  sovereigns,  retained 
his  royal  prize  of  three  princesses,  and  escorted  them 
back  to  Hastinapura,  the  royal  city,  to  the  queen-mother 
SatyavatI,  that  they  might  become  the  brides  of  her  son 
Vichitravirya  the  king.  Well  might  it  be  told  henceforth 
amongst  men  that  Amba,  Ambika,  and  Ambalika  had 
had  knightly  prowess  itself  for  their  dower. 
But  as  the  wedding-day  itself  drew  near,  Amba,  the  eldest 
of  the  three  princesses,  sought  an  audience  of  Bhlshma, 
the  guardian  of  the  imperial  house,  and  with  much  shy- 
ness and  delicacy  disclosed  to  him  the  fact  of  her  prior 
betrothal  to  the  king  of  the  Shalwas.  It  seemed  to  her  a 
far  from  noble  deed  that  she  should  marry  one  man  while 
secretly  longing,  she  said,  for  another.  She  therefore 
asked  Bhlshma  to  decide  for  her  whether  she  might  be 
allowed  to  depart  from  the  Kuru  court. 
The  matter  was  quickly  laid  by  Bhlshma  before  his 
mother,  the  council  of  state,  and  the  priests  both  of 
the  realm  and  of  the  royal  household.  And  all  these 
persons  judged  it  with  kindly  judgment,  as  if  Amba  had 
been  some  tenderly  guarded  daughter  of  their  own. 
Secretly,  then,  before  the  time  arranged  for  the  Kuru 
wedding,  she  was  allowed  to  leave  Hastinapura  and  pro- 
ceed to  the  capital  of  the  king  of  the  Shalwas.  And  her 
escort  was  carefully  chosen,  being  made  up  of  a  number 
of  old  Brahmans.  And  besides  these,  her  own  waiting- 
woman,  who  had  from  childhood  been  her  nurse,  travelled 
with  her. 

And  when  she  reached  the  city  of  the  Shalwas,  she  came 
before  the  king  and  said  simply  to  him :   "  I  have  come, 
O  king.     Here  I  am." 
176 


Amba  is  Rejected 

A  nib  a  is  Rejected 

But  some  blindness  and  perversity  had  come  upon  the  king 
of  the  Shalwas.  Perhaps  he  was  really  angry  and  mortified 
by  his  defeat  at  the  hands  of  Bhlshma.  Perhaps  at  first 
his  attitude  was  taken  half  in  play  and  gradually  grew 
more  and  more  bitter  and  earnest.  Or  perhaps — and  this 
seems  the  most  likely — he  was  indeed  an  unknightly  man, 
and  the  girl  had  done  ill  to  trust  him.  In  any  case,  he 
proved  utterly  unworthy  of  the  great  and  faithful  love  of 
the  Lady  Amba. 

At  first,  with  lightness  and  laughter,  he  declared  that  he 
did  not  want  a  wife  who  had  once  been  carried  off  by 
Bhlshma  and  intended  for  another's  bride.  Then  he 
taunted  the  princess  with  having  gone  to  Hastinapura 
cheerfully.  But  she,  poor  girl,  could  truthfully  urge  that 
she  had  wept  all  the  way. 

Finally,  he  showed  himself  simply  indifferent,  and  though 
she  made  her  feeling  clear  over  and  over  again  with 
a  sincerity  that  all  her  life  after  it  made  her  hot  to 
remember,  he  showed  not  the  slightest  affection  for  her, 
but  turned  away  from  her,  casting  her  off,  say  the 
chronicles,  as  a  snake  discards  his  old  skin,  with  no  more 
feeling  of  honour  or  of  affection.  And  when  the  maiden, 
eldest  daughter  of  the  king  of  Benares,  at  last  understood 
that  this  was  King  Shalwa's  intention,  her  heart  was  filled 
with  anger,  and  in  the  midst  of  her  tears  of  sorrow  and 
pride  she  rose  and  said :  "  Though  thou  dost  cast 
me  off,  O  king,  righteousness  itself  will  be  my  pro- 
tection, for  truth  cannot  be  defeated  !  "  And  with  these 
words  she  turned,  crying  softly,  and  haughtily  went  forth 
from  the  city. 

Suffering  the  deepest  humiliation  as  she  was,  and  scarcely 

m  177 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§?  Buddhists 

knowing  where  to  turn,  the  royal  maiden  for  that  night 
took  refuge  in  one  of  the  great  forest-hermitages  of  the 
time,  known  as  askramas,  of  which  her  own  grandfather 
happened  to  be  the  head.  Her  heart  was  full  of  pain  and 
her  whole  mind  was  in  confusion.  She  had  been  scorned 
and  refused,  but  whose  was  the  fault  ?  Had  it  been 
Shalwa  or  Bhishma  who  was  more  to  blame  ?  Sometimes 
she  would  reproach  herself  that  she  had  not  publicly 
refused,  in  the  tournament-ground,  to  go  with  her  sisters, 
under  Bhlshma's  protection,  to  Hastinapura.  Then  she 
would  make  her  father  responsible  for  the  rashness  that 
had  announced  that  prowess  should  be  the  dower  of  his 
daughters.  Again,  her  mind  would  turn  upon  Bhishma. 
If  he  had  not  captured  her,  if  he  had  not  taken  her  to 
Hastinapura,  and,  again,  if  he  had  not  arranged  for  her 
expedition  to  the  king  of  the  Shalwas,  this  trouble  would  not 
have  come  upon  her.  Thus  she  blamed  herself,  her  father, 
and  Bhishma  all  by  turns,  but  never  did  this  princess  of 
Benares  turn  in  her  heart  to  blame  the  king  of  the  Shalwas, 
whom  she  would  fain  have  had  for  her  lord.  Even  in  the 
insult  he  had  inflicted  upon  her  she  made  endless  excuses 
for  him.  She  could  not  see  his  lightness  and  vanity. 
She  saw  only  the  trial  to  which  he  had  been  put.  Her 
own  mind  was  set  to  give  up  the  world.  Rejected  on  two 
sides — for  she  could  not  now  return  to  Hastinapura — and 
too  proud  to  ask  shelter  in  the  home  of  her  childhood,  there 
was  nothing  before  the  royal  maiden  save  a  life  of  austerity 
and  penance.  And  gradually,  as  she  grew  calm  and  took 
the  help  and  advice  of  the  old  sages  of  the  ashrdma,  her  mind 
began  to  settle  on  Bhishma  as  the  source  and  root  of  her 
woes,  and  the  destruction  of  Bhishma  gradually  became 
the  motive  to  which  all  her  self-severities  were  to  be 
directed. 
178 


Amba  &*  Bhishma 

Amba  and  B  his  J  una 

Religion  itself  took  the  part  of  Amba,  for  the  hermits, 
headed  by  her  grandfather,  loved  and  pitied  the  mortified 
girl.  And  in  after  ages  a  story  was  current  of  a  great 
mythical  combat  waged  against  Bhishma  on  her  behalf  by 
Parashu-Rama,  who  had  been  his  early  teacher,  and  was 
even  as  God  himself.  And  this  combat  lasted,  it  was 
said,  many  days,  being  fought  with  all  the  splendour  and 
power  of  warring  divinities,  till  at  last  it  was  brought  to 
an  end  by  the  intervention  of  the  gods,  surrounded  by  all 
the  celestial  hosts.  For  they  feared  to  see  the  exhaustion  of 
mighty  beings  who  owed  each  other  reverence  and  affection 
and  could  by  no  means  kill  one  another.  But  when  Amba 
was  called  into  the  presence  of  Parashu-Rama  to  hear  the 
news  of  the  cessation  of  the  conflict,  she  merely  bowed 
and  thanked  the  old  warrior  with  great  sweetness  for  his 
energy  on  her  behalf.  She  would  not  again,  she  said,  seek 
the  protection  of  Bhishma  in  the  city  of  Hastinapura,  and 
she  added  that  it  now  lay  with  herself  to  find  the  means  of 
slaying  Bhishma. 

Parashu-Rama,  who  was  almost  the  deity  of  fighting  men, 
must  have  smiled  to  hear  a  girl,  with  her  soft  voice, 
promise  herself  the  glory  of  killing  the  knight  whom  even 
he  had  not  been  able  to  defeat.  But  Amba  rose  and  left 
his  presence  with  her  head  high  and  despair  on  her  face. 
There  was  now  no  help  for  her  even  in  the  gods.  She 
must  depend  upon  herself. 

From  this  time  her  course  of  conduct  became  extra- 
ordinary. Month  after  month  she  would  fast  and  undergo 
penances.  Beauty  and  charm  became  nothing  in  her  eyes. 
Her  hair  became  matted  and  she  grew  thinner  and  thinner. 
For  hours  and  days  she   would    stand   in    stillness   and 

179 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ®f  Buddhists 

silence  as  if  she  had  been  made  of  stone.  In  this  way  she 
did  more  than  was  human  and  "made  heaven  itself  hot " 
with  her  austerities. 

Every  one  begged  her  to  desist.  The  old  saints  near  whom 
she  lived,  and  embassies  constantly  sent  by  her  father,  all 
begged  her  to  surrender  her  resolve  and  live  a  life  of 
greater  ease.  But  to  none  of  these  would  she  listen,  and  only 
went  on  with  redoubled  energy  practising  her  asceticisms. 
Then  she  began  to  seek  out  pilgrimages,  and  went  from 
one  sacred  river  to  another,  performing  the  while  the  most 
difficult  of  vows.  On  one  occasion  as  she  bathed,  Mother 
Ganges  herself,  who  was  known  to  have  been  the  mother 
of  Bhishma,  addressed  her,  and  asked  her  the  cause  of  all 
these  penances.  But  when  the  poor  lady  replied  that  all 
her  efforts  were  bent  toward  the  destruction  of  Bhishma 
the  spirit  of  the  Ganges  rebuked  her  severely,  and  told 
her  the  terrible  consequences  of  vows  of  hatred.  Yet  still 
the  Princess  Amba  did  not  desist.  Until  he  was  slain 
through  whom  she  had  come  to  be  "neither  woman  nor 
man,"  she  would  not  know  peace  and  she  would  not 
stop. 

At  last  Shiva,  the  Great  God,  appeared  before  her,  drawn 
by  the  power  of  her  prayers  and  penances,  and  standing 
over  her  with  the  trident  in  his  hand,  he  questioned  her  as 
to  the  boon  she  sought. 

"  The  defeat  of  Bhishma ! "  answered  Amba,  bowing 
joyfully  at  his  feet,  for  she  knew  that  this  was  the  end 
of  the  first  stage  in  the  execution  of  her  purpose. 
"  Thou  shalt  slay  him,"  said  the  Great  God.  Then  Amba, 
filled  with  joy,  and  yet  overcome  with  amazement,  said : 
"  But  how,  being  a  woman,  can  I  achieve  victory  in  battle? 
It  is  true  that  my  woman's  heart  is  entirely  stilled.  Yet  I 
beg  of  thee,  O  thou  who  hast  the  bull  for  thy  cognizance, 
1 80 


Kurukshetra 

to  give  me  the  promise  that  I  myself  shall  be  able  to 
slay  Bhlshma  in  battle  !  " 

Then  answered  Shiva :  "  My  words  can  never  be  false. 
Thou  shalt  take  a  new  birth  and  some  time  afterwards 
thou  shalt  obtain  manhood.  Then  thou  shalt  become  a 
fierce  warrior,  well  skilled  in  battle,  and  remembering-  the 
whole  of  thy  present  life,  thou  thyself,  with  thine  own 
hands,  shalt  be  the  slayer  of  Bhlshma." 
And  having  so  said,  the  form  of  Shiva  disappeared  from 
before  the  eyes  of  the  assembled  ascetics  and  the  Lady 
Amba  there  in  the  midst  of  the  forest  askrdma.  But 
Amba  proceeded  to  gather  wood  with  her  own  hands,  and 
made  a  great  funeral  pyre  on  the  banks  of  the  Jamna,  and 
then,  setting  a  light  to  it,  she  herself  entered  into  it,  and 
as  she  took  her  place  upon  the  throne  of  flame  she  said 
over  and  over  again :  "  I  do  this  for  the  destruction  of 
Bhlshma !  To  obtain  a  new  body  for  the  destruction  of 
Bhlshma  do  I  enter  this  fire!  " 

XL  KURUKSHETRA 

The  thirteen  years'  exile  was  over,  and  the  Pandavas  once 
more,  by  their  prowess  in  battle,  had  revealed  themselves 
to  their  friends.  Now  was  held  a  great  council  of  kings  at 
the  court  of  one  of  those  allies,  and  Dhritarashtra,  hearing 
of  it,  sent  to  it  an  ambassador  charged  with  vague  words 
of  peace  and  friendship  to  the  Pandavas,  but  not  empowered 
to  make  any  definite  proposal  for  giving  them  back  their 
kingdom  and  property.  To  this  embassy  all  agreed 
with  Yudhishthira  that  there  was  only  one  answer  to  be 
given  :  "  Either  render  us  back  Indraprastha  or  prepare  to 
fight !  " 

It  was  now  clear  indeed  to  all  men  that  nothing  remained 
for  either  family  but  war.     The  aggressions  of  Duryodhana 

181 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

had  been  too  many  and  too  persistent.  The  insults  offered 
at  the  gambling  party  had  been  too  personal  and  too 
offensive.  Duryodhana,  moreover,  had  had  all  the 
opportunity  he  craved.  For  thirteen  years,  while  his 
cousins  were  in  exile,  he  had  enjoyed  the  power  of  making 
alliances  and  dispensing  benefits.  It  was  now  for  him  to 
test  the  faithfulness  and  the  courage  of  the  friends  he  had 
won.  The  clouds  of  war  hung  thick  and  black  above  the 
rival  houses,  and  both  knew  now  that  the  contest  must  be 
to  the  death.  And  Duryodhana  put  the  command  of  the 
Kaurava  forces  into  the  hands  of  Bhlshma,  while  Kama, 
in  order  that  he  might  not  create  a  separate  faction  in  the 
army,  pledged  himself  not  to  fight  till  after  the  grandsire 
should  be  slain.  And  the  Pandava  forces  were  put  under 
the  command  of  the  Panchala  prince,  Draupadi's  brother, 
Dhrishtadyumna.  And  Hastinapura,  at  the  approach  of 
battle,  crowded  with  kings  and  men-at-arms,  with  elephants 
and  chariots  and  thousands  of  foot-soldiers,  looked  like 
the  ocean  at  the  moment  of  moonrise.  And  the  Pandavas 
also  gathered  their  forces  in  the  capital  of  Drupada,  and 
both  sides  marched  down  on  the  great  plain  of  Kuruk- 
shetra,  which  was  to  form  the  scene  of  action.  Thus 
entered  both  parties  into  that  mansion  where  the  play  was 
to  be  war,  where  the  gamblers  were  men  and  their  own  lives 
the  stakes,  and  where  the  dice-board  was  the  battle-field, 
filled  with  its  armies,  chariots,  and  elephants.  From 
the  beginning  Duryodhana  had  given  orders  that  Bhlshma, 
as  commander,  was  to  be  protected  at  all  hazards,  and 
having  heard  vaguely  from  Bhlshma  himself  that  through 
Shikhandin  alone  could  his  death  come,  he  commanded 
that  every  effort  was  to  be  made  throughout  the  battle  to 
kill  Shikhandin. 

And  the  smaller  army  that  marched  beneath  the  banners 
182 


The  Battle 

of  the  Pandavas  and  Panchalas  was  full  of  joy  and  spirit. 
Their  minds  soared  to  the  combat.  They  seemed  like 
men  intoxicated  with  delight  at  the  thought  of  battle. 
But  terrible  omens  were  seen  by  Bhlshma,  and  whenever 
Duryodhana  sat  down  to  think  of  battle  he  was  heard  to 
sigh. 

The  Battle 

When  the  sun  rose  on  the  fatal  day  the  two  great  armies 
stood  face  to  face  with  one  another,  with  their  chariots  and 
steeds  and  splendid  standards,  looking  like  two  rival 
cities.  Then  sounded  the  conch  shells  and  battle  trum- 
pets, and  with  a  vast  movement,  as  of  a  tidal  wave  passing 
over  the  ocean  or  a  tempest  sweeping  over  the  forests, 
the  two  forces  threw  themselves  upon  one  another,  and 
the  air  was  filled  with  the  neighs  of  the  chargers  and  the 
noise  and  groans  of  combatants.  With  leonine  roars  and 
clamorous  shouting,  with  the  blare  of  trumpets  and  cow- 
horns  and  the  din  of  drums  and  cymbals,  the  warriors  of 
both  sides  rushed  upon  each  other.  For  a  while  the 
spectacle  was  beautiful,  then  it  became  furious,  and, 
hidden  in  its  own  dust  and  confusion,  there  was  nothing  to 
be  seen.  The  Pandavas  and  the  Kurus  fought  as  if  they 
were  possessed  by  demons.  Father  and  son,  brother  and 
brother  forgot  each  other.  Elephants  rent  each  other 
with  their  tusks.  Horses  fell  slain  and  great  chariots  lay 
crushed  up  on  the  earth.  Banners  were  torn  to  pieces. 
Arrows  flew  in  all  directions,  and  wherever  the  darkness 
was  rent  for  a  moment  was  seen  the  flashing  of  swords  and 
weapons  in  deadly  encounter. 

But  wherever  the  combat  was  thickest,  there  at  its  heart 
might  be  seen  Bhlshma,  the  leader  of  the  Kurus,  standing 
in  white  armour  on  his  silver  car,  like  unto  the  full  moon 

183 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

in  a  cloudless  sky.  Over  him  waved  his  standard,  a 
golden  palm-tree  wrought  on  a  white  ground.  And  no 
warrior  whom  he  marked  for  his  aim  could  survive  the 
shooting  of  his  deadly  arrow.  And  the  whole  host  of 
those  who  were  opposed  to  him  trembled,  as  one  after 
another  he  shot  down  trusted  officers.  And  as  darkness 
began  to  fall  the  rival  commanders  withdrew  their  forces 
for  their  nightly  rest.  But  there  was  sorrow  in  both 
camps  for  those  that  had  fallen  in  the  combat  of  the  day. 
Day  after  day  went  by,  and  amidst  growing  ruin  and 
carnage  it  became  clear  to  the  Pandavas  that  so  long  as 
Bhlshma,  their  beloved  grandsire,  lived  they  themselves 
could  not  conquer.  On  the  tenth  day,  therefore,  the  fatal 
combat  was  undertaken.  Bhlshma  was  mortally  wounded, 
and  the  command  of  the  Kurus  made  over  to  Drona  in 
his  stead. 

Under  Drona  the  Kurus  once  more  enjoyed  a  blaze  of 
victory.  The  science  of  the  old  preceptor  had  its  value 
in  enabling  him  to  dispose  of  his  forces  to  advantage 
and  teaching  him  where  was  the  point  to  attack.  After 
a  time  it  became  evident  that  under  his  direction  all  the 
strength  of  the  Kurus  was  being  concentrated  on  the 
seizure  of  Yudhishthira's  person,  for  Drona  was  known 
to  have  made  a  vow  to  capture  the  Pandava  king.  The 
enemy,  on  the  other  hand,  had  aimed  from  the  beginning 
at  the  personal  defeat  of  Drona;  only  it  was  the  dearest 
wish  of  Arjuna  that  his  old  master  should  be  taken 
alive. 

The  Deception  of  Bhima 

This  wish  was  not  realized.     As  long  as  Ashvatthaman, 

the  son  of  Drona,  lived  it  came  to  be  believed  that  his 

father  would  never  be  conquered,  for  his  love  and  hope 

184 


The  Deception  of  Bhima 

for  his  son  were  sufficient  to  keep  him  filled  with  courage 
and  energy.  Bhima,  therefore,  being  bent  on  the  defeat 
of  Drona,  selected  an  elephant  named  Ashvatthaman  and 
slew  it  with  his  own  hands,  and  then  threw  himself  in  his 
might  on  the  Kuru  front  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Drona, 
shouting  :  "  Ashvatthaman  is  dead  !  Ashvatthaman  is 
dead  1 " 

Drona  heard  the  words,  and  for  the  first  time  his  stout 
heart  sank.  Yet  not  easily  would  he  accept  the  news 
that  was  to  be  his  death-blow.  Unless  it  was  confirmed 
by  Yudhishthira,  who  was,  he  said,  incapable  of  untruth, 
even  for  the  sovereignty  of  the  three  worlds,  he  would 
never  believe  that  Ashvatthaman  was  dead.  Making  his 
way  then  to  Yudhishthira,  Drona  asked  him  for  the  truth, 
and  Yudhishthira  answered  in  a  clear  voice :  "  Yes,  O 
Drona!  Ashvatthaman  is  dead!"  And  this  he  said 
three  times.  But  after  the  word  Ashvatthaman  he  said 
indistinctly  each  time  the  words  "the  elephant."  These 
words,  however,  Drona  did  not  hear.  And  up  to  this 
time  the  horses  and  wheels  of  Yudhishthira's  chariot  had 
never  touched  the  earth.  But  after  this  untruth  they 
came  down  a  hand's-breadth  and  drove  along  the  ground. 
Then  Drona,  in  his  despair  for  the  loss  of  his  son,  became 
unable  to  think  of  his  divine  weapons.  Seeing,  then,  that 
the  time  had  come,  he  charged  the  great  bowmen  who 
were  about  him  as  to  how  they  were  to  conduct  the  battle, 
and  laying  down  his  own  weapons,  he  sat  down  on  the 
front  of  his  chariot  fixing  his  mind  on  itself.  At  that  very 
moment  Dhrishtadyumna,  the  Pandava  general,  had  seized 
his  sword  and  leapt  to  the  ground  in  order  to  attack 
Drona  in  personal  combat.  But  before  he  touched  him 
the  soul  of  the  Kuru  general  had  gone  forth,  and  to  the 
few  who  had  vision  it  appeared  for  a  moment  as  if  the  sky 

185 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

held  two  suns  at  once.  But  none  parried  the  blow  of 
Dhrishtadyumna.  The  uplifted  sword  fell  and  cut  off 
Drona's  head,  which  was  at  once  raised  from  the  ground 
by  his  supposed  slayer  and  tossed  like  a  ball  into  the  midst 
of  the  Kuru  hosts.  For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the 
army  would  break  and  flee.  Then  darkness  came  on,  and 
wearily  and  mournfully  all  departed  to  their  quarters. 
Still  a  few  days  were  left,  and  Kama  took  command. 
But  with  his  death  two  days  later  it  became  clear  that  the 
Pandavas  were  to  be  the  victors.  Yet  still  Duryodhana 
remained  with  unabated  courage,  determined  neither  to 
give  nor  to  take  quarter;  and  not  until  he  had  been 
vanquished  in  single  combat  with  Bhima,  and  all  their 
schoolboy  enmities  fulfilled  in  death,  could  the  Pandavas 
be  finally  acclaimed  as  victors. 

Then  at  last  the  eighteen  days'  battle  was  ended  with  the 
victory  of  Yudhishthira  and  his  brothers,  and  Duryodhana 
and  all  the  sons  of  Dhritarashtra  had  vanished  in  death, 
even  as  a  lamp  that  is  extinguished  at  midday. 

The  Bhagavad  Gitd 

The  Bhagavad  Gita  is  a  partly  philosophic,  partly  devo- 
tional inspired  utterance  of  Krishna  immediately  before 
the  great  battle  between  the  Kurus  and  the  Pandavas — 
spoken  in  reply  to  Arjuna's  protest  that  he  has  no  will  to 
slay  his  friends  and  kinsmen.  This  Gita,  or  song,  has 
become  a  gospel  universally  acceptable  among  all  Indian 
sects.  No  single  work  of  equal  length  so  well  expresses  the 
characteristic  trend  of  Indian  thought,  or  so  completely 
depicts  the  Indian  ideals  of  character. 
It  speaks  of  diverse  ways  of  salvation — that  is,  escaping 
from  self  and  knowing  God :  by  love,  by  works,  and  by 
learning.  God  has  two  modes  of  being,  the  unmanifest  and 
1 86 


The  Bhagavad  Gita 

unconditioned,  and  the  manifest  and  conditioned.  There 
are,  indeed,  some  who  seek  direct  experience  of  the  uncon- 
ditioned ;  but,  as  Shrl  Krishna  says :  "  Exceeding  great  is 
the  toil  of  these  whose  mind  is  attached  to  the  unshown, 
for  the  unshown  way  is  painfully  won  by  them  that  wear 
the  body."  For  all  those  who  are  not  yet  ripe  for  such 
supreme  effort  Shrl  Krishna  teaches  passionate  devotion 
to  himself  and  the  strenuous  sva-dharma — that  is,  action 
according  to  the  duty  of  each  individual.  We  have 
already  seen  (Ramayana,  p.  10)  that  morality  or  rules 
of  conduct  are  not  the  same  for  all  individuals :  the 
morality  of  a  yogi  is  different  from  that  of  a  knight. 
Shrl  Krishna  teaches  that  the  doing  of  such  action  as  a  man 
is  called  to,  without  attachment  to  the  fruits  of  action — 
that  is,  indifferent  to  failure  or  success,  or  to  any  advan- 
tages or  disadvantages  resulting  to  oneself — is  a  certain 
means  of  progress  toward  the  knowledge  of  God.  And 
to  those  whom  the  problem  of  suffering  dismays  he  says : 
"  Do  not  grieve  for  the  life  and  death  of  individuals,  for 
this  is  inevitable;  the  bodies  indeed  come  and  go,  but 
the  life  that  manifests  in  all  is  undying  and  unhurt,  this 
neither  slayeth  nor  is  slain  " — nayam  hanti  na  hanyate. 
Therefore,  when  Arjuna  protests  that  he  has  no  desire  to 
slay  his  kinsmen  in  battle,  Krishna  answers,  like  Brynhild 
to  Sigurd  : 

Wilt  thou  do  the  deed  and  repent  it  ?  thou  hadst  better 

never  been  born  : 
Wilt  thou  do  the  deed  and  exalt  it  ?  then  thy  fame  shall 

be  outworn : 
Thou  shall  do  the  deed  and  abide  it,  and  sit  on  thy  throne 

on  high, 
And  look  on  to-day  and  to-ino?row  as  those  that  never  die. 

187 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  SP  Buddhists 

The  extract  following  expresses  these  ideas  in  the  words 
of  the  Git  a  itself : 

Arjuna  spake: 

"  O  Krishna,  when  I  see  my  kinsmen  thus  arrayed  for  battle, 

Gandiva  falls  from  my  hand,  and  my  mind  is  all  awhirl, 

"  For  I  do  not  long  for  victory,  O  Krishna,  nor  kingdoms, 

nor  delights ;  what  is  kingship,  what  is  pleasure,  or  even 

life  itself,  O  Lord  of  Herds, 

"  When  they  for  whose  sake  kingship,  pleasure,  and  delight 

are  dear,  stand  here  arrayed  for  battle,  abandoning  life 

and  wealth? 

"  These  I  would  not  slay,  though  they  should  seek  to  slay 

myself;  no,  not  for  the  lordship  of  the  three  worlds,  much 

less  for  the  kingdom  of  the  earth. 

"  What  pleasure  can  we  find,  O  Troubler  of  the  People,  in 

slaying  Dhritarashtra's  folk  ?     We  shall  be  stained  by  sin 

if  we  kill  these  heroes. 

"  It  were  better  that  the  sons  of  Dhritarashtra,  weapon  in 

hand,  should  slay  me  unresisting  and  unarmed." 

Thus  did  the  Wearer  of  the   Hair-knot  speak  with  the 

Lord  of  Herds,  saying:  "I  will  not  fight." 

Krishna  answered : 

"  Thou  speakest  words  of  seeming  wisdom,  yet  thou  dost 
grieve  for  those  for  whose  sake  grief  is  all  unmeet.  The 
wise  grieve  not  at  all,  either  for  the  living  or  the  dead. 
"  Never  at  any  time  have  I  not  been,  nor  thou,  nor  any  of 
these  princes  of  men,  nor  verily  shall  we  ever  cease  to  be 
in  time  to  come. 

"As  the  Dweller-in-the-Body  endureth  childhood,  youth, 
and  age,  even  so  he  passeth  on  to  other  bodies.  The  stead- 
fast grieve  not  because  of  this. 
188 


XIV 
KRISHNA  INSTRUCTING  ARJUNA 

SURENDRA    NATH    KAR 
Page  1 88 


;^j 


The  Bhagavad  Gita 

"  It  is  but  the  touchings  of  the  instruments  of  sense,  O  son 
of  Kunti,  that  bring  cold  and  heat,  pleasure  and  pain ;  it 
is  they  that  come  and  go,  enduring  not ;  do  thou  bear  with 
them,  O  son  of  Bharata. 

"  But  know  that  That  is  indestructible  by  which  all  this  is 
interpenetrated  ;  none  can  destroy  that  changeless  Being. 
"  It  is  but  these  bodies  of  the  Body-Dweller,  everlasting, 
infinite,   undying,  that    have  an  end  ;  therefore  do  thou 
fight,  O  son  of  Bharata." 

Then,  still  speaking  of  that  imperishable  Life,  which  life 
and  death  do  not  touch,  Krishna  continued : 

"  That  is  not  born,  nor  doth  it  die ;  nor,  having  been,  doth 
it  ever  cease  to  be  ;  unborn,  everlasting,  eternal,  and  ancient, 
this  is  not  slain  when  a  body  is  slain. 
"  Knowing  That  to  be  undying,  everlasting,  unborn,  and 
undiminished,  who  or  what  may  it  be  that  a  man  can  slay, 
or  whereby  can  he  be  slain  ? 

"  As  a  man  casting  off  worn  garments  taketh  new,  so  the 
Body-Dweller,  casting  off  a  worn-out  body,  enters  into 
another  that  is  new. 

"  Unmanifest,  unthinkable,  unchangeable  is  That.  Know- 
ing it  so,  thou  shouldst  not  grieve. 

"  For  this  Body-Dweller  may  never  in  any  body  be  wounded, 
O  son  of  Bharata ;  therefore  thou  shouldst  not  grieve  for 
any  creature. 

"  But,  looking  upon  thine  own  appointed  task  \_sva-dkarma\, 
fear  not ;  for  there  is  nothing  more  to  be  welcomed  by  a 
knight  than  a  righteous  war." 

In  later  passages  Shrl  Krishna  proclaimed  his  own  im- 
manence : 

"  Hear    thou,  O  child  of  Pritha,  how  thou  mayst  verily 

189 


Myth; 


is  of  the  Hindus  <8f  Buddhists 

know  Me  to  the  uttermost,  practising  yoga,  and  thy  mind 
attached  to  Me: 

"Eightfold  is  my  nature — of  earth,  of  water,  fire  and  wind; 
of  ether,  mind  and  understanding,  and  the  sense  of  I-hood. 
"  That  is  the  lower ;  do  thou  also  know  my  other  nature, 
the  higher — of  elemental  soul  that  holdeth  up  the  universe, 
thou  great-armed  hero. 

"  Know  that  from  these  twain  are  sprung  all  beings ;  in  Me 
is  the  evolution  of  the  universe,  and  in  Me  its  dissolution. 
"There  is  naught  whatsoever  higher  than  I,  O  wealth- 
winner;  all  this  universe  is  strung  on  Me  like  rows  of  gems 
upon  a  thread. 

"  I  am  the  savour  in  the  waters,  O  son  of  KuntI,  and  the 
light  in  sun  and  moon  ;  in  the  Vedas  I  am  the  Om,  in  the 
ether  I  am  sound,  in  men  I  am  their  manhood. 
"The  pure  fragrance  of  the  earth  am  I,  and  the  light  in 
fire ;  the  life  in  all  born  beings  I,  and  the  asceticism  of 
ascetics. 

"Know,  child  of  Pritha,  that  I  am  the  eternal  seed  of 
beings  one  and  all ;  I  am  the  reason  of  the  rational,  the 
splendour  of  the  splendid. 

"  The  strength  of  the  strong  am  I,  void  of  longing  and  of 
passion ;  in  creatures  I  am  the  desire  that  is  not  against 
the  law,  O  Bharata  lord. 

"  Know  that  from  Me  are  sprung  the  moods  of  goodness, 
fieriness  and  gloom ;  I  am  not  in  them,  but  they  in  Me. 
"Bewildered  by  these  threefold  moods,  all  this  world 
knows  Me  not,  who  am  above  the  moods  and  imperishable. 
"  For  this  my  divine  illusion,  born  of  the  moods,  is  hard 
to  pierce.  They  come  to  Me  who  pass  beyond  this  glamour. 
"  I  know  the  beings  that  are  past  and  present  and  to 
come,  Arjuna ;  but  none  knoweth  Me." 


190 


The  Bed  of  Arrows 

XII   THE  BED  OF  ARROWS 
We  have  seen  that  Bhlshma  was  struck  down  with  mortal 
wounds  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  great  battle.     This  was 
the  manner  of  his  death  : 

Long,  long  ago,  in  the  youth  of  Bhlshma,  when  as  heir- 
apparent  to  the  kingdom  he  had  taken  the  vow  never  to 
marry,  in  order  that  the  throne  might  be  left  to  the  sons 
of  the  fisher-maid  queen,  his  father  had  pronounced  over 
him  a  great  blessing,  saying  that  death  should  never  be 
able  to  approach  him  till  he  himself  should  give  permission. 
For  this  reason,  to  Bhlshma  personally,  war  had  all  his 
life  been  only  play.  And  now,  in  the  battle  of  Kuruk- 
shetra,  day  after  day  went  by  because  of  this  without  any 
decisive  victory.  Bhlshma  believed  that  the  cause  of  the 
Pandavas  was  just  and  they  could  not  be  defeated,  and  yet 
he  fought  with  a  skill  and  gaiety  that  nothing  could 
approach.  He  constantly,  with  his  shower  of  arrows,  cut 
down  whoever  was  opposed  to  him  at  the  head  of 
Yudhishthira's  army.  Even  as  the  sun  with  his  rays  sucks 
up  the  energies  of  all  things  during  summer,  so  did 
Bhishma  take  the  lives  of  the  hostile  warriors.  And  the 
soldiers  who  faced  him,  hopeless  and  heartless,  were 
unable  even  to  look  at  him  in  that  great  battle — him  who 
resembled  the  midday  sun  blazing  in  his  own  splendour ! 
Things  being  at  this  pass  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  battle, 
night  fell,  and  the  Pandavas  and  their  friends  assembled 
with  Krishna  to  hold  a  council  of  war.  There  the  stern 
necessities  of  war  battled  in  their  minds  with  the  feelings 
of  reverence  and  affection  with  which,  from  their  very  baby- 
hood, Yudhishthira  and  his  brothers  regarded  Bhlshma. 
Still,  they  repeated  constantly  that  as  long  as  Bhlshma 
remained  undefeated  the  victory  could  not  be  theirs.     It 

191 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

was  necessary,  therefore,  to  kill  Bhishma,  and  this  must 
be  done  by  Arjuna,  who  had  long  ago  promised,  half 
laughingly,  that  he  would  bring  to  the  grandsire  his 
means  of  escape  from  life.  Yet  how  was  it  to  be  done? 
None  present  could  offer  a  suggestion.  Bhishma  was 
personally  invincible.  Death  himself  could  not  approach 
him  without  permission.  Who,  therefore,  was  competent  to 
slay  him  ? 

Suddenly  Yudhishthira  raised  his  head.  "  I  have  it!"  he 
cried.  "When  we  were  preparing  for  war  the  grandsire 
promised  me  that,  though  he  could  not  fight  for  us,  he 
would  always  be  ready  to  give  us  counsel.  Let  us  go  and 
ask  him  for  the  means  by  which  he  should  be  slain  I  There 
can  be  no  doubt  but  he  will  aid  us ! " 
The  thought  was  worthy  of  the  knightly  counsellors,  and 
putting  off  armour  and  weapons,  they  left  the  tent  and  pro- 
ceeded unarmed  toward  the  quarters  of  the  Kuru  general. 
Warm  and  loving  was  the  welcome  that  Bhishma  gave 
his  grandchildren  as  they  entered  his  tent,  and  eagerly  he 
inquired  what  he  could  possibly  do  for  them. 
The  brothers  and  Krishna  stood  moodily  before  him  in  a 
row.  At  last,  however,  Yudhishthira  broke  the  silence. 
"O  thou,"  he  cried,  "whose  bow  is  ever  in  a  circle, 
tell  us  how  we  may  slay  thee  and  protect  our  troops  from 
constant  slaughter ! " 

Bhlshma's  face  lighted  up  with  sudden  understanding  and 
then  grew  grave.  "  You  must  indeed  slay  me,"  he  said 
gently,  "  if  you  are  to  have  the  victory  in  this  battle.  As 
long  as  I  am  alive  it  cannot  be  yours.  There  is  nothing 
for  you  but  to  slay  me  as  quickly  as  may  be ! " 
"  But  the  means ! "  said  Yudhishthira.  "  Tell  us  the  means ! 
To  us  it  seems  that  Indra  himself  would  be  easier  to 
defeat  1 " 
192 


The  Answer  of  Bhishma 

The  Answer  of  Bhishma 

"  I  see,  I  see,"  said  Bhishma  thoughtfully.  "  Yet  there  are 
certain  persons  whom  I  shall  never  fight.  Against  a  man 
unarmed,  against  the  vulgar,  or  against  one  born  a  woman 
I  never  take  aim.  And  if  covered  by  one  of  these,  anyone 
may  kill  me  easily.  Yet  I  warn  you  that  only  by  the 
hand  of  Krishna  or  of  Arjuna  can  the  arrow  be  shot  by 
which  I  consent  to  die." 

Then  Arjuna,  his  face  burning  in  grief  and  shame,  broke 
out.  "  Oh,  oh,  how  am  I  to  kill  him  who  has  been  my 
own  grandfather  ?  When  I  was  a  child  I  climbed  in  play 
upon  thy  knee,  O  Bhishma,  and  called  thee  'father.' 
«  Nay,  nay,'  thou  didst  reply,  '  I  am  not  thy  father,  little 
one,  but  thy  father's  father  1 '  Oh,  let  my  army  perish  ! 
Whether  victory  or  death  be  mine,  how  can  I  ever  fight 
with  him  who  has  been  this  to  us?" 

But  Krishna  reminded  Arjuna  of  the  eternal  duty  of  the 
knightly  order,  that  without  any  malice  they  should  fight, 
protect  their  subjects,  and  offer  sacrifice.  The  death  of 
Bhishma  was  ordained  from  of  old  by  the  hand  of  Arjuna. 
Even  thus  should  he  go  to  the  abode  of  the  gods.  And 
thus  soothed  and  braced  to  the  thought  of  the  morrow, 
the  princes  reverently  saluted  Bhishma  and  withdrew 
from  his  presence. 

Even  before  sunrise,  on  the  tenth  day,  the  great  host  was 
astir.  And  in  the  very  van  of  the  Pandava  troops  was  the 
knight  Shikhandin,  while  Bhlma  and  Arjuna  to  right  and 
left  were  the  protectors  of  his  wheels.  And  similarly,  in 
the  front  of  the  Kurus  was  Bhishma  himself,  protected  by 
the  sons  of  Dhritarashtra. 

The  energy  of  the  Pandavas,  inspired  as  they  now  were  by 
certain  hope  of  victory,  was  immense,  and  they  slaughtered 

n  193 


Myth; 


lS  of  the  Hindus  Sr  Buddhists 

the   troops    of   the    Kurus   mercilessly.      But    this    sight 
Bhlshma,  their  commander,  could  not  brook.      His  one 
duty  was  the  protection  of  his  soldiers,  and  he  shot  a  rain 
of  arrows  into  the  hostile  force.     In  all  directions   under 
his  mighty  arrows  fell   officers,  soldiers,   elephants,   and 
horses.     His  bow  seemed  to  be  ever  in  a  circle,  and  to 
the  Pandava  princes  he  looked  like  the  Destroyer  himself 
devouring  the  world.     In  spite  of  the  courage  and  violence 
with  which  Bhima  and  Arjuna  confronted  him  even-where, 
and  centred  their  whole  attack  and  onslaught  on  Bhlshma 
himself,  the  old  grandsire  succeeded  in  cutting  to  pieces 
the  whole   division   of   Shikhandin.      Then  that    officer, 
transported   with  anger,   succeeded  in  piercing   Bhlshma 
with  no  less  than  three  arrows  in  the  centre  of  the  breast. 
Bhlshma  looked  up  to  retaliate,  but,  seeing  that  the  blow 
had  come  from  Shikhandin,  he  laughed  instead,  and  said : 
"  What !    ShikhandinI  ?  '       These  words  were  too  much 
for  the  younger  knight. 

Shikhandin  and  Bhlshma 

"  By  my   troth,"  he  cried,  "  I  will   slay  thee !     Look  thy 

last  on  the  world  !  "     And  even  as  he  spoke  he  sent  five 

arrows  straight  into  the  heart  of  Bhlshma. 

Then  careering  like  death  himself  on  the  field  of  battle, 

Arjuna  rushed  forward,  and  Shikhandin  sped  another  five 

arrows  at  Bhlshma.     And  all  saw  that  Bhlshma  laughed 

and   answered  not,  but  Shikhandin  himself,  carried  away 

by  the  fur)'  of  battle,  was    not  aware.     And  Arjuna  as 

protector  of  his  wheel  scattered  death  in  the  Kuru  ranks 

on  every  side. 

Then  Bhlshma.  thinking  of  a  certain  divine  weapon,  made 

to  rush  upon  Arjuna  with  it  in  his  hand.     But  Shikhandin 

threw  himself  between,  and  Bhlshma  immediately  withdrew 

194 


Shikhandin  SP  Bhishma 

the  weapon.     Then  the  grandsire  took  up  an  arrow  that 
was  capable  of  clearing  a  mountain,  and  hurled  it   like  a 
blazing  bolt  on  the  chariot  of  Arjuna  ;  but  Arjuna  with 
lightning  speed  fixed  on  his  bow  live  arrows  and  cut  the 
dart  as  it  coursed  towards  him  into  live  great  fragments. 
Again  and  again  struck  Shikhandin,  and  still  the  grand- 
sire  answered  not,  either  by  look  or  blow  ;  but  Arjuna, 
drawing  Gandiva,  sped   hundreds  of  arrows  and  struck 
Bhishma    in  his    vital    parts.      And    whenever    the    old 
general  shot,  the  prince  cut  oft"  his  arrow  in  its  course ; 
but  his  own  arrows   Bhishma   could   not  escape.      Then 
smiling  he  turned  to  one  near  him  and  said  :  "  These  darts 
coursing  toward  me  in  the  long  line,  like  the  messenger 
of  Wrath,  are  not  Shikhandin's !  "     Then  he  took  sword 
and  shield  and  made  to  jump  from  his  car  to  close  with 
Arjuna  in  single  combat.     But  even  at  this  moment  the 
arrows  of  Arjuna    cut  his  shield  as  he  seized  it  into   a 
thousand  pieces.    And  even  his  car  was  struck,  and  for  the 
first  time  the  mighty  bowman  trembled. 
Then  seeing-  this,  like  a  vortex  in  the  river  the  tides  of 
battle  closed  over  and  around  him,  and  when  again  there 
was  a  break  in  the  struggling  mass  Bhishma  was  seen, 
like  a  broken  standard,  to  have  fallen  to  the  ground. 
Then  it  was  seen  that,  pierced  all  over  with  arrows,  his 
bodv  touched  not  the  ground.     And  a  divine  nature  took 
possession  of  the  great  bowman,  lying  thus  on  that  thorny 
bed.     He  permitted  not  his  senses  for    one    moment    to 
falter.     All  round  him  he  heard  heavenly  voices.     A  cool 
shower  fell  for  his  refreshment,  and  he  remembered  that 
this  was  not  an  auspicious  moment  for  the  flight  of  the 
soul.     Then  there  swept  down  upon  him  from  the  distant 
Himalayas  messengers  from  Mother  Ganges,  a  flock  of 
swans  which  circled  round  and  round  him,  bringing  celestial 

195 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  §f  Buddhists 

memories.  And  Bhlshma,  indifferent  to  the  pains  of  the 
body,  and  having  death  in  his  own  control,  determined 
to  lie  there  on  his  bed  of  arrows  till  the  sun  should 
have  entered  once  more  on  his  northern  path  and  the 
way  be  open  to  the  region  of  the  gods.  And  the  battle 
was  hushed,  while  the  princes  of  both  houses  stood  around 
their  beloved  guardian.  And  he,  giving  them  a  cheerful 
welcome,  asked  for  a  pillow.  Then  all  kinds  of  soft  and 
beautiful  pillows  were  brought.  But  he  waved  them 
aside  as  not  fit  for  the  bed  of  a  hero,  and  turned  to 
Arjuna.  And  Arjuna,  stringing  Gandlva,  shot  three 
arrows  into  the  earth  for  the  support  of  Bhishma's  head. 
"Thus  should  the  hero  sleep,"  said  Bhlshma,  "on  the 
field  of  battle.  Here,  when  the  sun  turns  again  to  the 
north,  shall  I  part  from  life,  like  one  dear  friend  from 
another.  And  now  blessings  be  with  you  and  peace !  I 
spend  my  time  in  adoration !  " 

With  these  words  he  motioned  all  to  withdraw,  and  he, 
Bhlshma,  was  left  alone  for  the  night,  lying  on  his  bed  of 
arrows. 

XIII.  KARNA 

The  birth  of  the  warrior  Kama  had  been  on  a  strange 
fashion.  Having  the  sun  for  his  father,  he  was  born  of 
KuntT,  or  Pritha,  the  mother  of  the  Pandavas,  before  her 
marriage,  and  she  had  prayed  that  if  the  child  were  indeed 
the  son  of  a  god  he  should  be  born  with  natural  ear-rings 
and  a  natural  coat  of  armour  as  the  signs  of  his  immortality. 
And  it  was  even  so,  and  these  things  were  the  tokens  that 
he  could  not  be  slain  by  mortal  foe.  And  Kunti,  coming 
with  her  maid,  put  the  child  at  dead  of  night  into  a  box 
made  of  wicker-work  and,  weeping  bitterly,  floated  it  out 
with  many  tender  farewells  upon  the  current  of  the  river. 
196 


Kama 

And  carried  by  the  waves,  and  bearing  with  him  the  signs 
of  his  divine  origin,  the  babe  came  to  the  city  of  Champa, 
on  the  Ganges,  and  there  he  was  found  by  Adiratha  the 
charioteer  and  Radha  his  wife,  and  they  took  him  and 
adopted  him  as  their  eldest  son.  And  years  went  by,  and 
Adiratha  left  Champa  for  Hastinapura,  and  there  Kama 
grew  up  amongst  the  pupils  of  Drona;  and  he  contracted  a 
friendship  for  Duryodhana  and  became  the  rival  of  Arjuna. 
Now  all  the  sons  of  Pritha  had  had  gods  for  their  fathers, 
and  Arjuna's  father  was  Indra.  And  Indra,  seeing  that 
Kama  wore  natural  mail  and  ear-rings,  became  anxious 
for  the  protection  of  Arjuna.  For  it  was  ordained  in 
the  nature  of  things  that  one  of  these  two  must  slay  the 
other. 

And  it  was  known  of  Kama  that,  at  the  moment  when 
after  bathing  he  performed  his  morning  worship  of  the 
sun,  there  was  nothing  that  he  would  not,  if  asked,  give 
away  to  a  mendicant.  Indra,  therefore,  one  day,  taking 
the  form  of  a  Brahman,  stood  before  him  at  this  hour 
and  boldly  demanded  his  mail  and  ear-rings. 
But  Kama  would  not  easily  part  with  the  tokens  of  invin- 
cibility. Smiling  he  told  the  Brahman  again  and  again 
that  these  things  were  part  of  himself.  It  was  impossible, 
therefore,  for  him  to  part  with  them.  But  when  the  sup- 
pliant refused  to  be  satisfied  with  any  other  boon,  Kama 
turned  suddenly  upon  him  and  said:  "Indra,  I  know 
thee  !  From  the  first  I  recognized  thee  !  Give  me  some- 
thing in   exchange,   and   thou   shalt  have   my   mail    and 


jar-rings 


And  Indra  answered  :  "  Except  only  the  thunderbolt,  ask 

what  thou  wilt ! " 

Then  said  Kama :  "  One  invincible  dart !     In  exchange  I 

give  thee  my  mail  and  ear-rings  !  " 

197 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

The  Arrow  of  Death 

And  Indra  answered :  "  Done !  I  give  thee,  O  Kama, 
this  dart  called  Vasava.  It  is  incapable  of  being  baffled, 
and  thrown  by  me  returns  to  my  hand  to  slay  hundreds  of 
enemies.  Hurled  by  thee,  however,  it  will  slay  but  one 
powerful  foe.  And  if,  maddened  by  anger,  while  there 
still  remain  other  weapons  or  while  thy  life  is  not  in 
deadly  peril,  thou  shoot  this  arrow,  it  will  rebound  and 
fall  upon  thyself !  " 

Then  taking  the  blazing  dart,  Kama,  without  wincing, 
began  to  cut  off  his  own  coat  of  natural  armour  and  his 
own  living  ear-rings,  and  handed  them  to  the  Brahman. 
And  Indra,  taking  them,  ascended  with  a  smile  to  Heaven. 
And  news  went  about  on  all  hands  that  Kama  was  no 
longer  invincible.  But  none  knew  of  the  arrow  of  death 
that  he  treasured,  to  be  used  once  upon  a  single  deadly 
foe. 

The  Mission  of  Krishna 

Now  it  happened  before  the  outbreak  of  hostilities  that 
Krishna  had  gone  himself  to  Hastinapura  to  see  if  it 
were  not  possible  to  persuade  Dhritarashtra  to  restore 
Indraprastha  peacefully,  and  thus  to  avoid  war.  Finding, 
however,  that  this  plan  could  not  be  carried  out,  and 
turning  to  leave  the  Kuru  capital,  he  had  still  tried  one 
more  device  to  make  the  fratricidal  contest  impossible. 
Taking  Kama  aside,  he  privately  told  him  the  secret  of 
his  birth,  and  begged  him  to  announce  himself  to  the 
whole  world  as  the  son  of  Pritha,  and  therefore  the  elder 
brother  of  Yudhishthira  himself;  not  only  a  prince  of 
blood  as  proud  as  the  Pandavas'  own,  but  even,  if  the 
truth  were  known,  their  actual  leader  and  sovereign. 
198 


The  Mission  of  Krishna 

Kama  listened  with  his  usual  courtesy,  not  untouched  with 
sadness.  He  had  long  known,  he  said  in  reply,  the  nature 
of  his  own  origin,  that  Pritha,  the  mother  of  the  Pandavas, 
had  been  his  mother  and  the  sun  his  father,  and  he  also 
knew  that  it  was  by  command  of  the  god  that  she  had 
then  abandoned  him  and  floated  him  out  on  the  river 
beside  which  he  was  born.  But  he  could  not  forget  that 
all  the  love  and  devotion  of  parents  had  actually  been 
shown  him  by  the  old  charioteer  and  his  wife.  Nor  could 
he  forget  that  they  had  no  other  child,  and  that  if  he 
gave  them  up  there  would  be  none  to  make  for  them  the 
ancestral  offerings.  He  had  married,  moreover,  in  the 
caste  of  the  charioteer,  and  his  children  and  grandchildren 
were  all  of  that  rank.  How  could  he,  out  of  mere  desire 
for  empire,  cut  loose  his  heart  from  bonds  so  sweet  ? 
There  was  the  gratitude,  moreover,  that  he  owed  to 
Duryodhana.  Because  of  his  fearless  and  heroic  friend- 
ship he  had  enjoyed  a  kingdom  for  thirteen  years  without 
a  care.  His  one  desire  in  life  had  been  the  right  of  single 
combat  with  Arjuna,  and  undoubtedly  it  was  the  know- 
ledge of  this  that  had  made  Duryodhana  bold  to  declare 
war.  Were  he  now  to  withdraw,  it  would  be  treachery  to 
his  friend. 

Above  all,  it  was  important  that  Krishna  should  tell  no 
one  the  secret  of  this  conversation.  If  Yudhishthira  came 
to  know  that  his  place  was  by  right  Kama's,  it  was  not  to 
be  believed  that  he  would  consent  to  retain  it.  And  if 
the  Pandava  sovereignty  were  to  come  into  the  hands  of 
Kama,  he  himself  could  do  nothing  save  hand  it  over  to 
Duryodhana.  It  was  best,  therefore,  for  all  parties  that 
the  secret  should  be  as  though  never  told,  and  that  he 
should  act  as  he  would  have  acted  had  it  remained 
unknown. 

199 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

And  then,  swept  away  on  the  current  of  his  own  melancholy 

into  a  mood  of  prophecy,  the  charioteer's  son  said:  "Ah, 

why  should  you  tempt  me  ?     Have  I  not  seen  in  a  vision 

the  kingly  hall  entered  by  Yudhishthira  and  his  brothers 

all   in   white?     Do  I  not  know  as  well  as  another  that 

victory  must  always  follow  the  right  ?     This  is  no  battle, 

but  a  great  sacrifice  of  arms  that  is  about  to  be  celebrated, 

and    Krishna   himself   is   to  be  the  high  priest.     When 

Drona    and    Bhishma    are    overthrown,    then   will    this 

sacrifice  be  suspended  for  an  interval.     When  I  am  slain 

by  Arjuna  will  the  end  begin,  and  when  Duryodhana  is 

killed  by  Bhima  all  will  be  concluded.     This  is  the  great 

offering   of   the   son   of    Dhritarashtra.      Let   it   not   be 

defeated !      Rather   let   us   die   by   the   touch   of    noble 

weapons  there  on  the  sacred  field  of  Kurukshetra ! " 

Remaining  silent  for  a  moment  or  two,  Kama  looked  up 

again  with  a  smile,  and  then,  with  the  words :  "  Beyond 

death   we   meet   again ! "    he   bade   a   silent  farewell    to 

Krishna,  and,  alighting  from  his  chariot,  entered  his  own 

and  was  driven  in  silence  back  to  Hastinapura. 

Pritha  and  Kama 

But  Krishna  was  not  the  only  person  who  could  see  the 
importance  of  Kama  to  the  Kuru  cause.  It  was  the  next 
morning,  by  the  river-side,  as  he  ended  his  devotions  after 
bathing,  that  Kama,  turning  round,  was  surprised  to  find 
the  aged  Pritha,  mother  of  the  Pandavas,  waiting  behind 
him.  Dwelling  in  the  household  of  Dhritarashtra,  and 
hearing  constantly  of  preparations  for  war  against  her 
own  sons,  it  had  occurred  to  her  distracted  heart  that  if 
she  could  induce  Duryodhana's  ally  to  fight  on  their  side, 
instead  of  against  them,  she  would  greatly  increase  for 
them  the  chances  of  victory. 
200 


Pritha  ftf  Kama 

Kama  was  standing  with  arms  uplifted,  facing  the  east, 
when  she  crept  up  behind  him  and  waited  trembling  in 
his  shadow  till,  when  from  very  weariness  she  looked  like 
a  fading  lotus,  he  at  last  turned  round.  Kama  was 
startled  at  the  encounter,  but  controlling  himself  he  bowed 
gravely  and  said:  "I,  O  Lady,  am  Kama,  the  son  of 
Adiratha  the  charioteer.  Tell  me  what  I  can  do  for 
you  I " 

The  little  aged  woman,  in  spite  of  her  royal  dignity, 
quivered  at  his  words.  "  No,  no  !  "  she  exclaimed  eagerly. 
"Thou  art  my  own  child,  and  no  son  of  a  charioteer!  Oh, 
be  reconciled,  I  beg  of  thee,  and  make  thyself  known  to 
thy  brothers  the  Pandavas !  Do  not,  I  entreat,  engage  in 
war  against  them!"  And  as  she  spoke  a  voice  came 
from  the  sun  itself,  saying:  "Listen,  O  Kama,  to  the 
words  of  thy  mother!" 

But  Kama's  heart  was  devoted  to  righteousness,  and  even 
the  gods  could  not  draw  him  away  from  it.  He  did  not 
waver  now,  though  entreated  by  his  mother  and  father  at 

once. 

"Alas,  my  mother!"  he  said,  "how  should  you  now 
demand  my  obedience  who  were  contented  in  my  baby- 
hood to  leave  me  to  die  ?  Not  even  for  my  mother  can  I 
abandon  Duryodhana,  to  whom  I  owe  all  I  have.  Yet 
one  thing  I  promise.  With  Arjuna  only  will  I  fight.  The 
number  of  your  sons  shall  always  be  five,  whether  with  me 
and  without  Arjuna,  or  with  Arjuna  and  me  slain! " 
Then  Pritha  embraced  Kama,  whose  fortitude  kept  him 
unmoved.  "Remember,"  she  said,  "you  have  granted  to 
four  of  your  brothers  the  pledge  of  safety.  Let  that  pledge 
be  remembered  in  the  heat  of  battle!"  And  giving  him 
her  blessing,  she  glided  quietly  away. 

201 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

Kama  leads  the  Host 

Fifteen  days  of  battle  had  gone  by,  ending  with  the  death 
of  the  aged  Drona,  and  before  dawn  on  the  sixteenth 
Duryodhana  and  his  officers  met  together  and  installed 
Kama  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  Kuru  host.  This 
was  a  war  in  which  victory  depended  on  slaughtering  the 
rival  commander,  and  now  that  he  had  lost  two  generals 
Duryodhana  could  not  but  be  tempted  to  despondency 
regarding  his  own  ultimate  triumph.  With  each  great 
defeat  death  crept  nearer  and  nearer  to  himself,  and  he 
truly  felt  now  that  the  command  of  Kama  was  his  last 
stake,  and  that  all  depended  for  him  on  its  success. 
Bhlshma  might  have  been  accused  of  undue  partiality 
towards  the  men  whom  he  had  loved  as  children.  Drona 
might  have  had  a  secret  tenderness  for  his  favourite 
pupils.  But  Kama's  whole  life  had  been  bent  towards  the 
single  end  of  combat  with  Arjuna  to  the  death.  Here 
was  one  who  would  on  no  account  shirk  the  ordeal.  And 
Kama,  in  truth,  was  repeating  his  vow  for  the  slaughter 
of  the  Pandavas  when  he  took  his  place  in  battle.  No 
man  can  see  always  clearly  into  the  future,  and  from  him 
now,  the  hour  of  his  vision  being  past,  the  event  was  hidden 
as  completely  as  from  any  other.  He  could  only  hope, 
like  Arjuna,  that  he,  and  he  alone,  was  destined  to  succeed. 
The  sixteenth  day  of  battle  opened  and  passed.  Kama 
had  arranged  the  Kurus  in  the  form  of  a  great  bird,  and 
Arjuna  spread  out  the  Pandavas  to  oppose  them  as  a 
crescent.  But  though  he  sought  him  earnestly  all  that 
day  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  battle-field, 
Kama  was  never  able  to  encounter  Arjuna  face  to  face. 
Then  night  fell,  and  the  two  armies  rested. 
At  dawn  the  next  morning  Kama  sought  out  Duryodhana. 
202 


Kama  leads  the  Host 

This,  he  declared,  was  to  be  the  great  day  of  destiny.  At 
nightfall  without  doubt  the  Pandavas  would  sleep  amongst 
the  slain  and  Duryodhana  stand  undisputed  monarch  of 
the  earth.  Only  he  must  recapitulate  the  points  of 
superiority  on  each  side.  And  then  he  proceeded  to  tell 
the  king  of  the  divine  weapons  that  he  and  Arjuna  pos- 
sessed. If  Arjuna  had  Gandiva,  he  himself  had  Vijaya. 
In  respect  of  their  bows  they  were  not  unequal.  It  was 
true  that  Arjuna's  quivers  were  inexhaustible,  but  Kama 
could  be  followed  by  supplies  of  arrows  in  such  abund- 
ance that  this  advantage  would  not  tell.  Finally,  Arjuna 
had  Krishna  himself  for  his  charioteer.  And  Kama 
desired  to  have  a  certain  king  who  was  famous  through- 
out the  world  for  the  knowledge  of  horses  for  his. 
This  was  readily  arranged,  and  with  a  king  for  his 
charioteer  Kama  went  out  to  lead  the  battle  on  the  day 
of  destiny. 

Hither  and  thither  on  the  field  sped  Kama  that  day, 
constantly  seeking  for  the  deadly  encounter.  But  though 
he  met  one  and  another  of  the  Pandavas,  held  him  at 
his  mercy,  and  then,  perhaps  remembering  his  promise 
to  Pritha,  allowed  him  to  depart,  he  and  Arjuna  nowhere 
met.  It  was  not  till  noon  was  past  that  Arjuna,  stringing 
his  bow  and  speeding  a  shaft,  while  Kama,  though  in 
sight,  was  yet  too  far  off  to  intervene,  slew  Vrishasena, 
the  son  of  his  rival.  At  this  sight,  filled  with  wrath  and 
grief,  Kama  advanced  in  his  chariot  upon  Arjuna,  looking 
as  he  came  like  the  surging  sea,  and  shooting  arrows  like 
torrents  of  rain  to  right  and  left.  Behind  him  waved  his 
standard  with  its  device  of  the  elephant  rope.  His  steeds 
were  white,  and  his  car  was  decked  with  rows  of  little 
bells.  He  himself  stood  out  against  the  sky  with  all  the 
splendour  of  the  rainbow  itself.    At  the  sound  of  his  great 

203 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

bowstring  Vijaya  all  things  broke  and  fled  from  him 
in  fear.  On,  on  he  came,  with  his  royal  charioteer,  to- 
ward the  point  where  Arjuna  awaited  the  onset.  "  Be 
cool!  Be  cool!'  whispered  Krishna  to  the  Pandava; 
"now,  verily,  have  you  need  of  all  your  divine 
weapons !  " 


The  Supreme  Struggle 

A  moment  later  the  two  heroes,  resembling  each  other 
so  remarkably  in  person  and  accoutrements,  like  angry 
elephants,  like  infuriated  bulls,  had  closed  in  mortal 
combat.  And  all  the  spectators  held  their  breath,  and  for 
a  moment  the  battle  itself  stood  still,  while  involuntarily 
the  question  rose  in  every  mind  which  of  these  two  would 
emerge  the  victor.  Kama  was  like  a  stake  cast  by  the 
Kurus,  and  Arjuna  by  the  Pandavas.  It  was  only  for  a 
moment,  and  then  on  both  sides  the  air  rang  with  trumpets 
and  drums  and  acclamations,  all  sounded  for  the  encou- 
raging of  one  or  other  of  the  combatants. 
Fiercely  they  challenged  each  other  and  fiercely  joined  in 
fight.  And  it  was  even  said  that  their  two  standards  fell 
upon  each  other  and  closed  in  conflict. 
Then  each  of  the  two  heroes,  raining  arrows  upon  the 
other,  darkened  the  whole  sky.  And  each  baffled  the 
other's  weapons  with  his  own,  like  the  east  and  west 
winds  struggling  against  each  other.  Wound  upon  wound 
they  dealt  each  other,  but  as  long  as  they  were  not  mortal 
neither  seemed  to  feel.  Then  the  arrows  of  Arjuna  covered 
the  chariot  of  Kama  like  a  flock  of  birds  darkening  the  sky 
as  they  flew  to  roost.  But  each  one  of  those  shots  was 
deflected  by  an  arrow  of  Kama.  Then  Arjuna  shot  a  dart 
of  fire.  And  as  he  did  so  he  himself  stood  illuminated  in 
the  blaze,  and  the  garments  of  the  soldiers  about  him  were 
204 


The  Supreme  Struggle 

in  danger  of  burning.  But  even  that  arrow  was  quenched 
by  Kama  shooting  one  of  water. 

Then  Gandlva  poured  forth  arrows  like  razors,  arrows  like 
crescents,  arrows  like  joined  hands  and  like  boars'  ears. 
And  these  pierced  the  limbs,  the  chariot,  and  the  standard 
of  Kama.  Then  Kama  in  his  turn  called  laughingly  to 
mind  the  divine  weapon  Bhargava,  and  with  it  cut  off 
all  the  arrows  of  Arjuna  and  began  to  afflict  the  whole 
Pandava  host.  And  showering  innumerable  darts,  the  son 
of  the  charioteer  stood  in  the  midst,  with  all  the  beauty  of 
a  thunder-cloud  pouring  down  rain.  And  urged  on  by  the 
shouts  of  those  about  them,  both  put  forth  redoubled 
energy. 

Suddenly  the  string  .of  Gandlva  with  a  loud  noise  broke, 
and  Kama  poured  out  his  arrows  in  swift  succession, 
taking  advantage  of  the  interval  thus  given.  By  this 
time  the  troops  of  the  Kurus,  thinking  the  victory  was 
already  theirs,  began  to  cheer  and  shout.  This  only  drew 
forth  greater  energy  from  Arjuna,  and  he  succeeded  in 
wounding  Kama  again  and  again.  Then  Kama  shot  five 
golden  arrows  which  were  in  truth  five  mighty  snakes, 
followers  of  one  Ashwasena,  whose  mother  Arjuna  had 
slain.  And  these  arrows  passed  each  one  through  the 
mark  and  would  have  returned  to  Kama's  hand  that  had 
sent  them  forth.  Then  Arjuna  shot  at  them  and  cut  them 
to  pieces  on  the  way,  and  perceived  that  they  had  been 
snakes.  And  his  wrath  so  blazed  that  he  shouted  in  his 
anger,  and  so  deeply  pierced  Kama  with  his  darts  that  the 
son  of  the  charioteer  trembled  with  pain.  At  the  same 
moment  all  the  Kurus  deserted  their  leader  and  fled, 
uttering  a  wail  of  defeat.  But  Kama,  when  he  saw  himself 
left  alone,  felt  no  fear  or  bitterness,  and  threw  himself  only 
the  more  cheerfully  upon  his  foe. 

205 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  {§P  Buddhists 

And  now   the  mighty  snake  Ashwasena,  beholding  the 

point  that  the  contest  had  reached,  and  desiring  to  gratify 

his   own   hatred  of   Arjuna,  entered   into  the  quiver  of 

Kama.     And  he,  eager  at  any  cost  to  prevail  over  his 

enemy,  and  unaware  that  Ashwasena  had  entered  into  the 

shaft,  set  his  heart  upon  that  one  particular  arrow  that  he 

had  kept  in  his  quiver  for  the  fatal  blow. 

Then  said  his  charioteer:  "  This  arrow,  O  Kama,  will  not 

succeed.      Find   thou    another   that    will    strike    off    his 

head  !  "     But  the   warrior  answered    haughtily  :   "  Kama 

never  changes  his   arrow.      Seek  not  to  stain  a  soldier's 

honour! " 

Having  said  these  words,  he  drew  his  bow  and  sped  that 

arrow  which  he  had  worshipped  to  this  end  for  many  a 

long    year.      And    it    made   a   straight   line   across    the 

firmament  as  it  sped  toward  Arjuna  through  the  air. 

But   Krishna,    understanding   the   nature   of   the   arrow, 

pressed  down  his  foot  so  that  Arjuna's  car  sank  a  cubit's 

depth  into   the  earth.     The  horses   also   instantly   knelt 

down,  and  that  arrow  carried  away  the  diadem  of  Arjuna, 

but  injured  not  his  person. 

Then  the  arrow  returned  to  the  hand  of  Kama  and  said 

in  a  low  voice:  "Speed  me  once  more,  and  I  will  slay  thy 

foe!" 

But  Kama  answered:  "Not  by  the  strength  of  another 

does  Kama  conquer.     Never  shall  I  use  the  same  arrow 


twice !  " 


Then,  the  hour  of  his  death  having  come,  the  earth  itself 
began  to  swallow  the  wheel  of  Kama's  car,  and  the  son  of 
the  charioteer,  reeling  with  pain  and  weariness,  bethought 
him  of  another  divine  weapon.  But  Arjuna,  seeing  this 
speed  forth,  cut  it  off  with  another;  and  when  Kama  began 
to  aim  at  his  bowstring,  not  knowing  that  he  had  a 
206 


The  Supreme  Struggle 

hundred  ready,  the  ease  with  which  he  replaced  the  broken 
strings  seemed  to  his  enemy  like  magic. 
At  this  moment  the  earth  swallowed  up  one  of  Kama's 
wheels  completely,  and  he  called  out :  "  In  the  name  of 
honour,  cease  shooting  while  I  lift  my  chariot ! ' 
But  Arjuna  replied:  "Where  was  honour,  O  Kama,  when 
the  queen  was  insulted  ?  "  and  would  not  stop  even  for  an 
instant. 

Then  Kama  shot  an  arrow  that  pierced  Arjuna  and  caused 
him  to  reel  and  drop  the  bow  Gandlva.  Taking  advantage 
of  the  opportunity,  Kama  leapt  from  his  chariot  and  strove 
without  avail  to  extricate  the  wheel.  While  he  was  doing 
this  Arjuna,  recovering,  aimed  a  sharp  arrow  and  brought 
down  the  standard  of  his  foe — that  splendid  standard 
wrought  in  gold  with  the  cognizance  of  the  elephant  rope. 
As  they  saw  the  banner  of  the  commander  fall  despair 
seized  the  watching  Kurus,  and  the  cry  of  defeat  rose 
loudly  on  the  wind.  Then,  hastening  to  act  before  Kama 
could  regain  his  place  on  his  chariot,  Arjuna  swiftly  took 
out  Anjalika,  the  greatest  of  all  his  arrows,  and,  fixing  it 
on  Gandlva,  shot  it  straight  at  the  throat  of  his  enemy,  and 
the  head  of  Kama  was  severed  at  the  stroke.  And  the 
rays  of  the  setting  sun  lighted  up  that  fair  face  with  their 
beauty  as  it  fell  and  rested,  like  a  lotus  of  a  thousand  petals, 
on  the  blood-stained  earth.  And  all  the  Pandavas  broke 
out  into  shouts  of  victory.  But  Duryodhana  wept  for  the 
son  of  the  charioteer,  saying  :  "  Oh,  Kama !  Oh,  Kama!  " 
And  when  Kama  fell  the  rivers  stood  still,  the  sun  set  in 
pallor,  the  mountains  with  their  forests  began  to  tremble, 
all  creatures  were  in  pain  ;  but  evil  things  and  the  wan- 
derers of  the  night  were  filled  with  joy. 


207 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

XIV.  THE  GREAT  HOST  OF  THE  DEAD 
That  was  a  terrible  hour  for  the  Pandavas  in  which,  with 
their  own  hearts  full  of  grief  for  the  bereavements  of 
battle,  they  had  to  meet  with  the  aged  Dhritarashtra  and 
Gandharl  his  queen,  deprived  as  they  now  were  of  their 
whole  century  of  sons.     The  victory  of  Kurukshetra  had 
made  Yudhishthira  king  of  the  whole  country,  and  this  fact 
Dhritarashtra  recognized  by  announcing  his  intention  of 
giving  up  the  world  and  retiring  with  Gandharl  and  Pritha 
to  the  Ganges  side,  there  to  live  out  their  lives  in  piety  and 
prayer.     For  the  first  month  the  Pandava  princes  accom- 
panied them  and  stayed  with  them  in  order  to  pray  with 
them  for  their  own  illustrious  dead.     And  at  the  close  of 
the  month  they  were  visited  by  Vyasa,  the  chief  of  the  royal 
chaplains,  a  man  famous  for  his  gifts  of  spirituality  and 
learning.      Seated    with    Vyasa,    Gandharl,    KuntI,    and 
Dhritarashtra  talked  out  many  an  old  grief  and  sought 
the  explanation  of  mysteries  that  had  long  puzzled  them. 
Then  turning  to  Gandharl    in   reverence  for  the  sorrow 
that  was  greater  than  any  borne  by  woman,  and  speaking 
to  the  heart   that   had    no  words    to    utter,  Vyasa  said : 
"Listen,  O  queen!  I  have  a  blessing  to  bestow.    To-night 
ye  shall  all  see  again  your  children  and  kinsmen,  like  men 
risen  out  of  sleep.     Thus  shall  your  sorrow  be  lightened 
and  your  heart  set  at  rest." 

Then  the  whole  party,  scarcely  able  to  believe  that  the 
words  of  Vyasa  would  be  fulfilled,  took  up  their  position 
in  expectation  on  the  banks  of  the  Ganges.  The  day  went  by, 
seeming  to  them,  in  their  eagerness  to  look  again  upon  the 
deceased  princes,  like  a  year.  But  at  last  the  sun  set,  and 
all  ended  their  evening  bathing  together  with  their  worship. 
When  night  came  and  all  were  seated  in  groups  and  in 
208 


The  Procession 

lonely  and  sheltered  places  along  the  banks  of  the  Ganges, 
Vyasa  went  forward  and  summoned  in  a  clear  voice  the 
dead  of  both  sides  to  grant  themselves  once  more  to 
mortal  vision  that  hearts  aching  with  sorrow  might  be 
comforted  a  space. 

The  Procession 

Then  a  strange  sound  was  heard  from  within  the  waters, 
and  gradually,  in  their  ranks  and  companies,  with  splendour 
of  shining  forms  and  banners  and  cars,  rose  all  the  kings, 
and  with  them  all  their  troops.  There  were  Duryodhana 
and  all  the  sons  of  Gandhari  and  Dhritarashtra.  There 
were  Bhlshma  and  Drona  and  Kama.  There  was 
Shikhandin  and  there  was  Drupada,  and  there  were  a 
thousand  others.  All  were  robed  in  heavenly  vesture  and 
brilliantly  adorned.  They  were  free  from  pride  and  anger 
and  divested  of  all  jealousy.  The  scene  was  like  some 
high  festival  of  happiness,  or  it  looked  like  a  picture 
painted  on  the  canvas.  And  Dhritarashtra  the  king, 
blind  all  his  life,  saw  his  sons  for  the  first  time,  with 
the  eye  of  a  quickened  vision,  and  knew  in  all  its  keenness 
the  joy  of  fatherhood. 

And  the  dead  came  forward  and  mingled  with  the  living. 
There  was  no  grief,  no  fear,  no  suspicion,  and  no  dis- 
content on  that  hallowed  night.  Kama  accepted  KuntI  as 
his  mother  and  became  reconciled  with  the  Pandavas  as 
his  brothers.  And  the  aching  sorrow  of  Gandhari  for 
Duryodhana  and  the  rest  of  her  children  was  appeased. 
And  when  dawn  approached,  those  shades  of  the  mighty 
dead  plunged  once  more  into  the  Ganges  and  went  each  to 
his  own  abode,  and  the  living,  with  sorrow  lightened, 
turned  to  the  duties  of  life  and  set  about  the  tasks  that 

lay  before  them. 

o  209 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  SP  Buddhists 

XV.  YUDHISHTHIRA  AND  HIS  DOG 
A  time  came  in  the  development  of  Hinduism  when 
religion  turned  its  back  on  all  the  deities  of  power  and 
worldly  good.  The  god,  like  his  worshipper,  must  eschew 
wealth  and  material  benefits.  Since  five  hundred  years 
before  the  Christian  era  the  Buddhist  orders  had  been 
going  up  and  down  amongst  the  people  popularizing 
certain  great  conceptions  of  renunciation  and  personal 
development  as  the  true  end  of  religion.  About  the  time 
of  the  Christian  era  the  volume  of  these  ideas  was 
becoming  ripe  for  the  taking  of  organized  shape,  in  India 
itself,  as  a  new  faith.  But  the  evolution  did  not  cease  at 
this  point  with  the  emergence  of  the  worship  of  Shiva. 
Some  few  centuries  later  a  new  phase  of  this  higher 
Hinduism  was  again  elaborated,  and  the  worship  of  Satya- 
Narayana  appeared  in  his  embodiment  as  Krishna.  This 
religion  was  laid  down  and  promulgated  in  the  form 
of  a  great  epic — the  Indian  national  epic  par  excellence 
— which  was  now  cast  into  its  final  form,  the  Mahab- 
harata. 

In  the  opinion  of  some  amongst  the  learned  we  have  here 
in  the  Mahabharata  a  recapitulation  of  all  the  old  wonder- 
world  of  the  early  sky-gazer.  Gods,  heroes,  and  demi- 
gods jostle  each  other  through  its  pages,  and  whence  they 
came  and  what  has  been  their  previous  history  we  have 
only  a  name  here  or  a  sidelight  there  to  help  us  to  discover. 
As  in  some  marvellous  tapestry,  they  are  here  gathered 
together,  in  one  case  for  a  battle,  in  another  for  a  life; 
and  out  of  the  clash  of  the  foemen's  steel,  out  of  the 
loyalty  of  vassal  and  comrade,  out  of  warring  loves 
and  conflicting  ideals,  is  made  one  of  the  noblest  of  the 
scriptures  of  the  world.  Is  it  true  that,  with  the  exception 
210 


The  Pilgrimage  of  Death 

of  what  has  been  added  and  remoulded  by  a  supreme  poet, 
fusing  into  a  single  molten  mass  the  images  of  aeons  past, 
most  of  the  characters  that  move  with  such  ease  across 
these  inspiring  pages  have  stepped  down  from  the  stage  of 
the  midnight  sky?  However  this  may  be,  one  thing  is 
certain  :  the  very  last  scene  that  ends  the  long  panorama  is 
that  of  a  man  climbing  a  mountain,  followed  by  a  dog, 
and  finally,  with  his  dog,  translated  to  Heaven  in  the 
flesh. 

The  Pilgrimage  of  Death 

The  five  royal  heroes  for  whose  sake  the  battle  of  their 
prime  was  fought  and  won  have  held  the  empire  of  India 
for  some  thirty-six  years,  and  now,  recognizing  that  the 
time  for  the  end  has  come,  they,  with  Draupadl  their 
queen,  resign  their  throne  to  their  successors  and  set 
forth  on  their  last  solemn  journey — the  pilgrimage  of  death 
— followed  by  a  dog  who  will  not  leave  them.  First  circling 
their  great  realm  in  the  last  act  of  kingly  worship,  they 
proceed  to  climb  the  heights  of  the  Himalayas,  evidently 
by  way  of  ascending  to  their  rightful  places  amongst 
the  stars.  He  who  has  lived  in  the  world  without  flaw 
may  hope  for  translation  at  the  last.  But,  great  as  is  the 
glory  of  the  Pandava  brothers,  only  one  of  them,  Yudhish- 
thira,  the  eldest,  is  so  unstained  by  life  as  to  merit  this, 
the  honour  of  reaching  Heaven  in  the  flesh.  One  by  one 
the  others,  Bhlma,  Arjuna,  and  the  twins  Nakula  and 
Sahadev,  together  with  Draupadl  the  queen,  faint  and  fall 
and  die.  And  still  without  once  looking  back,  without 
groan  or  sigh,  Yudhishthira  and  the  dog  proceed  alone. 
Suddenly  a  clap  of  thunder  arrests  their  steps,  and  in  the 
midst  of  a  mass  of  brightness  they  see  the  god  Indra, 
King  of  Heaven,  standing  in  his  chariot.     He  is  there  to 

211 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &P  Buddhists 

carry  Yudhishthira  back  with  him  to  Heaven,  and  imme- 
diately begs  him  to  enter  the  chariot. 
It  is  here,  in  the  emperor's  answer,  that  we  are  able  to 
measure  how  very  far  the  Hindu  people  have  gone  since 
the  early  worship  of  purely  cosmic  deities,  in  the  moralizing 
and  spiritualizing  of  their  deities  and  demi-gods.  Yudhish- 
thira refuses  to  enter  the  chariot  unless  his  dead  brothers 
are  all  first  recalled  to  enter  it  with  him,  and  adds,  on 
their  behalf,  that  they  will  none  of  them  accept  the  in- 
vitation  even  then  unless  with  them  be  their  queen, 
DraupadI,  who  was  the  first  to  fall.  Only  when  he  is 
assured  by  Indra  that  his  brothers  and  wife  have  pre- 
ceded him  and  will  meet  him  again  on  his  arrival  in  the 
state  of  eternal  felicity  does  he  consent  to  enter  the  divine 
chariot,  and  stand  aside  to  let  the  dog  go  first. 

The  Dog 

But  here  Indra  objected.  To  the  Hindu  the  dog  is  un- 
holy. It  was  impossible  to  contemplate  the  idea  of  a  dog 
in  Heaven!  Yudhishthira  is  begged,  therefore,  to  send 
away  the  dog.  Strange  to  say,  he  refuses.  To  him  the 
dog  appears  as  one  who  has  been  devoted,  loyal  in  time 
of  loss  and  disaster,  loving  and  faithful  in  the  hour  of 
entire  solitude.  He  cannot  imagine  happiness,  even  in 
Heaven,  if  it  were  to  be  haunted  by  the  thought  of  one  so 
true  who  had  been  cast  off. 

The  god  pleads  and  argues,  but  each  word  only  makes 
the  sovereign  more  determined.  His  idea  of  manliness 
is  involved.  "To  cast  off  one  who  has  loved  us  is  in- 
finitely sinful."  But  also  his  personal  pride  and  honour 
as  a  king  are  roused.  He  has  never  yet  failed  the 
terrified  or  the  devoted,  or  such  as  have  sought  sanctuary 
with  him,  nor  one  who  has  begged  mercy,  nor  any  who 
212 


.".- 


■J  Cfl 


I 


XV 

YUDHISHTHIRA 

Nanda  Lal  Bose 

/'<7°V    212 


"' 


The  Dog 

was  too  weak  to  protect  himself.  He  will  certainly  not 
infringe  his  own  honour  merely  out  of  a  desire  for  personal 
happiness. 

Then  the  most  sacred  considerations  are  brought  to  bear 
on  the  situation.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Hindu 
eats  on  the  floor,  and  the  dread  of  a  dog  entering  the 
room  is  therefore  easy  to  understand.  There  is  evidently 
an  equal  dislike  of  the  same  thing  in  Heaven.  "Thou 
knowest,"  urges  Indra,  "  that  by  the  presence  of  a  dog 
Heaven  itself  would  be  denied."  His  mere  glance  deprives 
the  sacraments  of  their  consecration.  Why,  then,  should 
one  who  has  renounced  his  very  family  so  strenuously 
object  to  giving  up  a  dog  ? 

Yudhishthira  answers  bitterly  that  he  had  perforce  to 
abandon  those  who  did  not  live  to  accompany  him  further, 
and,  admitting  that  his  resolution  has  probably  been  grow- 
ing in  the  course  of  the  debate,  finally  declares  that  he 
cannot  now  conceive  of  a  crime  that  would  be  more  heinous 
than  to  leave  the  dog. 

The  test  is  finished.  Yudhishthira  has  refused  Heaven 
for  the  sake  of  a  dog,  and  the  dog  stands  transformed 
into  a  shining  god,  Dharma  himself,  the  God  of  Righteous- 
ness. The  mortal  is  acclaimed  by  radiant  multitudes, 
and  seated  in  the  chariot  of  glory,  he  enters  Heaven  in  his 
mortal  form. 

Even  now,  however,  the  poet  has  not  made  clear  all  that 
is  to  be  required  of  a  perfect  man  elevated  alone  to  a 
position  of  great  glory.  Yudhishthira,  entering  Heaven, 
beholds  his  enemies,  the  heroes  with  whom  he  has  con- 
tended, seated  on  thrones  and  blazing  with  light.  At 
this  the  soul  of  the  emperor  is  mightily  offended.  Are 
the  mere  joys  of  the  senses  to  be  accepted  by  him,  he 
argues   in  effect,   as   any  equivalent  for  the   delight   of 

213 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ®P  Buddhists 

good  company  ?  Where  his  comrades  are  will  be  Heaven 
for  him — a  place  inhabited  by  the  personages  he  sees 
before  him  deserves  a  verv  different  name. 
Yudhishthira,  therefore,  is  conducted  to  a  region  of  another 
quality.  Here,  amidst  horrors  of  darkness  and  anguish, 
his  energy  is  exhausted  and  he  orders  his  guide  angrily  to 
lead  him  away.  At  this  moment  sighing  voices  are  heard 
in  all  directions  begging  him  to  stay.  With  him  comes  a 
moment  of  relief  for  all  the  souls  imprisoned  in  this  living 
pain  of  sight  and  sound  and  touch. 

Yudhishthira  in  Hell 

Involuntarily  the  emperor  paused.  And  then  as  he  stood 
and  listened  he  realized  with  dismay  that  the  voices 
to  which  he  was  listening  were  familiar.  Here,  in  Hell, 
were  his  kinsmen  and  comrades.  There,  in  Heaven,  he 
had  seen  the  great  amongst  his  foes.  Anger  blazed  up 
within  him.  Turning  to  the  messenger,  who  had  not  yet 
left  him — WkGo  !  "  he  thundered  in  his  wrath,  "  return  to 
the  hisrh  £ods,  whence  thou  earnest,  and  make  it  known  to 
them  that  never  shall  I  look  upon  their  faces  again.  What ! 
evil  men  with  them,  and  these  my  kinsfolk  fallen  into 
Hell  !  This  is  a  crime !  Never  shall  I  return  to  them 
that  wrought  it.  Here  with  my  friends,  in  Hell,  where  my 
presence  aids  them,  shall  I  abide  for  ever.  Go  !  " 
Swiftly  the  messenger  departed,  and  Yudhishthira  re- 
mained alone,  with  head  sunk  on  his  breast,  brooding  in 
Hell  on  the  fate  of  all  he  loved. 

Only  a  moment  passed,  and  suddenly  the  scene  was 
changed.  The  sky  above  them  became  bright.  Sweet 
airs  began  to  blow.  All  that  had  been  foul  and  repulsive 
disappeared.  And  Yudhishthira,  looking  up,  found  him- 
self surrounded  by  the  gods.  "  Well  done !  "  they  cried. 
214 


The  Greatness  of  Self-Conquest 

"  O  lord  of  men,  thy  trials  are  ended  and  thou  hast 
fought  and  won.  All  kings  must  see  Hell  as  well 
as  Heaven.  Happy  are  they  who  see  it  first.  For 
thee  and  these  thy  kin  nothing  remains  save  happiness 
and  glory.  Then  plunge  thou  into  the  heavenly  Ganges 
and  put  away  in  it  thy  mortal  enmity  and  grief.  Here, 
in  the  Milky  Way,  put  on  the  body  of  immortality  and 
then  ascend  thy  throne.  Be  seated  amongst  the  gods, 
great  thou  as  Indra,  alone  of  mortal  men  raised  to  Heaven 
in  this  thine  earthly  form  !  " 

The  Greatness  of  Self-Conqiiest 

That  process  of  spiritualizing  which  we  see  at  its  moment 
of  inception  in  the  story  of  Daksha  and  Shiva  is  here  seen 
at  its  flowering-point.  Thoroughly  emancipated  from  the 
early  worship  of  cosmic  impressiveness  and  power,  the 
Hero  of  the  Sky  appears  no  longer  as  a  great  Prajapati,  or 
Lord  of  Creation,  nor  even  as  the  Wild  Huntsman,  slay- 
ing the  winter  sun,  but  entirely  as  a  man,  one  of  ourselves, 
only  nobler.  The  Hindu  imagination  has  now  reached  a 
point  where  it  can  conceive  of  nothing  in  the  universe 
transcending  in  greatness  man's  conquest  of  himself. 
Yudhishthira  shone  amongst  men  in  royal  clemency  and 
manly  faithfulness  and  truth,  even  as  now  he  shines 
amongst  the  stars.  Whatever  came  to  him  he  first 
renounced,  and  finally  accepted  on  his  own  terms  only. 
This  was  the  demand  that  Buddhism,  with  the  exaltation 
of  character  and  detachment,  had  taught  the  Indian  people 
to  make  of  manly  men.  Greatest  of  all  was  the  renuncia- 
tion of  the  monk ;  but  next  to  this,  and  a  different  expres- 
sion of  the  same  greatness,  was  the  acceptance  of  life  and 
the  world  as  their  master,  not  as  their  slave. 
It  cannot  be  denied  that   this  story  of  Yudhishthira,  with 

2^5 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

its  subtlety  of  incident  and  of  character-drawing,  is 
thoroughly  modern  in  tone  and  grasp.  The  particular 
conception  of  loyalty  which  it  embodies  is  one  that  is 
deeply  characteristic  of  the  Indian  people.  To  them 
loyalty  is  a  social  rather  than  a  military  or  political  virtue, 
and  it  is  carried  to  great  lengths.  We  must  remember 
that  this  tale  of  Yudhishthira  will  be  in  part  the  offspring 
and  in  part  the  parent  of  that  quality  which  it 
embodies  and  extols.  Because  this  standard  was  cha- 
racteristic of  the  nation,  it  found  expression  in  the 
epic.  Because  the  epic  has  preached  it  in  every 
village,  in  song  and  sermon  and  drama,  these  fifteen 
centuries  past,  it  has  moulded  Indian  character  and  institu- 
tions with  increased  momentum,  and  gone  far  to  realize 
and  democratize  the  form  of  nobility  it  praises.  Would 
the  Greek  myths,  if  left  to  develop  freely,  have  passed 
eventually  through  the  same  process  of  ethicizing  and 
spiritualizing  as  the  Indian?  Is  India,  in  fact,  to  be 
regarded  as  the  sole  member  of  the  circle  of  classical 
civilizations  which  has  been  given  its  normal  and  perfect 
growth  ?  Or  must  we  consider  that  the  early  emergence 
of  the  idea  of  beauty  and  conscious  effort  after  poetic 
effect  supersedes  in  the  Hellenic  genius  all  that  becomes 
in  the  Indian  high  moral  interpretation?  A  certain 
aroma  of  poetry  there  cannot  fail  to  be  in  productions 
that  have  engaged  the  noblest  powers  of  man ;  but  this  in 
the  Indian  seems  always  to  be  unconscious,  the  result  of 
beauty  of  thought  and  nobility  of  significance,  while  in 
the  Greek  we  are  keenly  aware  of  the  desire  of  a  supreme 
craftsman  for  beauty  as  an  end  in  itself. 


216 


CHAPTER  IV  :  KRISHNA 

Notes  on  Krishna 

KRISHNA,  son  of  DevakI,  is  barely  mentioned  in  the 
Chhandogya  Upanishad{c.  500  B.C.).  In  the  Mahab- 
harata  (300B.C.-200  a.d.)  he  is  a  prominent  figure  ; 
in  the  Bhagavad  Gita,  which  is  a  late  addition,  there  is 
first  put  forward  the  doctrine  of  bhakti,  loving  devotion 
to  him  as  a  means  of  salvation,  additional  to  the  ways  of 
work  and  knowledge.  No  mention  is  made  of  his  youthful 
gestes.  He  is  represented  as  the  friend  and  adviser  of 
princes;  he  is  essentially  Dwarkanath,  the  Lord  of 
Dwaraka ;  he  is  identified  with  Vishnu  in  many  passages, 
although  in  his  human  form  he  worships  Mahadeva  and 
Uma  and  receives  gifts  from  them. 

At  a  subsequent  period,  between  the  time  of  the  compi- 
lation of  the  Gita  and  that  of  the  Vishnu  and  Bhagavata 
Puranas,  probably  in  the  tenth  or  eleventh  century,  arose 
the  worship  of  the  boy-Krishna,  the  chief  element  in  the 
modern  cult.  The  boy-Krishna  no  doubt  represents  the 
local  god  of  a  Rajput  clan.  The  names  of  Govinda  and 
Gopala  (herdsman)  indicate  his  origin  as  a  god  of  flocks 
and  herds. 

A  summary  of  the  Mahabharata  has  already  been 
given;  in  the  following  pages,  therefore,  are  related  the 
more  modern  legends  of  Krishna's  youth,  with  brief  re- 
ference only  to  his  doings  in  the  Great  War.  What  is 
given  is  essentially  a  condensed  translation,  compiled 
from  various  sources,  particularly  the  Vishnu  Ptirana,  the 
Bhagavata  Purana,  and  the  Prem  Sagara.  At  the  close 
of  the  Third  Age  a  Rajput  clan,  the  Yadavas,  descendants 
of  Yadu,  a  prince  of  the  Lunar  dynasty,  dwelt  beside  the 
Jamna,  with  Mathura  for  their  capital.     Ugrasena,  at  the 

217 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

time  of  the  beginning  of  the  story,  though  the  rightful 
king,  had  been  deposed  by  his  son  Kans,  a  cruel  and 
tyrannical  ruler — in  fact,  a  rakshasa  begotten  by  violence 
on  Ugrasena's  wife  Pavanarekha.  We  thus  find  the 
rakshasas  in  possession  of  Mathura,  where  some  of  the 
Yaduvamsls  also  still  dwell ;  but  most  of  the  latter  reside 
with  their  flocks  and  herds  at  Gokula,  or  Braj,  in  the 
country,  and  are  represented  as  paying  annual  tribute  to 
Mathura.  There  is  thus,  as  in  the  Ramayana,  a  state  of 
opposition  between  two  ideal  societies,  a  moral  society 
wherein  the  gods  become  incarnate  in  heroic  individuals, 
and  an  immoral  society  which  it  is  their  object  to  destroy. 
It  is  in  response  to  the  prayer  of  the  outraged  earth, 
wasted  by  the  tyranny  of  Kans,  and  at  the  request  of  the 
gods,  that  Vishnu  takes  birth  amongst  the  Yaduvamsls  at 
the  same  time  with  other  heavenly  beings — gods,  rishis, 
kinnaras,  gandharvas,  and  the  like. 

Such  is  the  pseudo-historical  legend  of  Krishna.  This 
story,  whatever  its  origins,  has  sunk  deep  into  the  heart 
and  imagination  of  India.  For  this  there  are  many 
reasons.  It  is  the  chief  scripture  of  the  doctrine  of  bhakti 
(devotion)  as  a  way  of  salvation.  This  is  a  way  that  all 
may  tread,  of  whatever  rank  or  humble  state.  The  gopts  l 
are  the  great  type  and  symbol  of  those  who  find  God  by 
devotion  {bhakti),  without  learning  (jndnam).  It  is  for 
Krishna  that  they  forsake  the  illusion  of  family  and  all 
that  their  world  accounts  as  duty;  they  leave  all  and 
follow  him.  The  call  of  his  flute  is  the  irresistible  call  of 
the  Infinite;  Krishna  is  God,  and  Radha  the  human  soul. 
It  matters  not  that  the  Jamna  and  Brindaban  are  to  be  found 
on  the  map  :  to  the  Vaishnava  lover  Brindaban  is  the  heart 
of  man,  where  the  eternal  play  of  the  love  of  God  continues. 

1   Gopts,  herd-girls. 
2l8 


The  Birth  of  Krishna 

The  Birth  of  Krishna 

Vasudev  was  a  descendant  of  Yadu,  of  the  Lunar  dynasty  ; 
he  was  married  to  RohinI,  daughter  of  King  Rohan,  and 
to  him  Kans  also  gave  his  own  sister  Devaki.  Immediately 
after  the  marriage  a  heavenly  voice  was  heard  announcing: 
"  O  Kans,  thy  death  will  come  to  pass  at  the  hand  of  her 
eighth  son."  Kans  therefore  resolved  to  slay  Vasudev  at 
once,  and  dissuaded  from  this,  he  did  actually  slay  the 
sons  one  by  one  till  six  were  dead.  In  Devaki's  seventh 
pregnancy  the  serpent  Shesh,  or  Ananta,  on  whom 
Narayana  rests,  took  on  a  human  birth.  To  save  this 
child  from  Kans,  Vishnu  created  a  thought-form  of  him- 
self and  sent  it  to  Mathura.  It  took  the  babe  from  Devaki's 
womb  and  gave  it  to  RohinI,  who  had  taken  refuge  with 
the  herdsmen  at  Gokula,  and  was  cared  for  by  Nand  and 
Yasoda,  good  people  dwelling  there,  who  had  as  yet  no  son 
of  their  own.  The  child  born  of  RohinI  was  afterwards 
called  Balarama.  After  transferring  the  child,  the  Send- 
ing of  Vishnu  returned  to  Devaki  and  revealed  the  matter 
in  a  dream,  and  Vasudev  and  Devaki  gave  Kans  to 
understand  that  the  child  had  miscarried. 
Then  Shrl  Krishna  himself  took  birth  in  Devaki's  womb, 
and  the  Sending  of  Vishnu  in  Yasoda's,  so  that  both  were 
with  child.  Kans,  when  he  learnt  that  Devaki  was  again 
pregnant,  set  a  strong  guard  about  the  house  of  Vasudev 
to  slay  the  child  the  moment  it  was  born ;  for,  much  as  he 
feared  the  prophecy,  he  dared  not  incur  the  sin  of  slaying  a 
woman.  At  last  Krishna  was  born,  and  all  the  heavens 
and  earth  were  filled  with  signs  of  gladness — trees  and 
forests  blossomed  and  fruited,  pools  were  filled,  the  gods 
rained  down  flowers,  and  gandharvas  played  on  drums  and 
pipes.     But  Krishna  stood  up  before  his  father  and  mother, 

219 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

and  this  was  the  likeness  of  him — cloudy  grey,  moon-faced, 
lotus-eyed,  wearing  a  crown  and  jewels  and  a  robe  of  yellow 
silk,  with  four  arms  holding  conch  and  disc  and  mace  and 
lotus-flower.  Vasudev  and  DevakI  bowed  down  to  him, 
and  Shrl  Krishna  said  to  them:  "Do  not  fear,  for  I  have 
come  to  put  away  your  fear.  Take  me  to  Yasoda,  and  bring 
her  daughter  and  deliver  her  to  Kans."  Then  he  became 
again  a  human  child,  and  the  memory  of  his  Godhead  left 
both  father  and  mother,  and  they  thought  only,  "  We  have 
a  son,"  and  how  they  might  save  him  from  Kans. 
DevakI,  with  folded  palms,  said  to  her  husband :  "Let  us 
take  him  to  Gokula,  where  dwell  our  friends  Nand  and 
Yasoda  and  your  wife  Rohinl."  At  that  very  moment  the 
fetters  fell  from  their  limbs,  the  gateways  opened,  and  the 
guards  fell  fast  asleep.  Then  Vasudev  placed  Krishna  in 
a  basket  on  his  head  and  set  out  for  Gokula.  He  knew 
not  how  to  cross  the  Jamna,  but  with  thought  intent  on 
Vishnu  he  entered  the  water.  It  rose  higher  and  higher  till 
it  reached  his  nose ;  but  then  Krishna  saw  his  distress  and 
stretched  down  his  foot,  and  the  water  sank.  So  Vasudeva 
crossed  the  river  and  came  to  Nand's  house,  where  a  girl 
had  been  born  to  Yasoda ;  but  Devi  had  put  forgetfulness 
upon  her  so  that  she  remembered  nothing  of  it.  Vasudeva 
exchanged  the  children  and  returned  to  Mathura ;  and  when 
he  was  back  again  with  DevakI  the  fetters  and  the  doors 
closed,  the  guards  awoke,  and  the  baby  cried.  Word  was 
sent  to  Kans,  and  he  went  in  terror,  sword  in  hand,  to  his 
sister's  house.  A  voice  announced  to  him:  "Thy  enemy 
is  born,  and  thy  death  is  certain  "  ;  but  finding  that  a  girl 
had  been  born,  he  released  Vasudeva  and  DevakI,  and 
prayed  their  pardon  for  the  past  slayings  and  treated  them 
well.  But  Kans  was  more  than  ever  enraged  against  the 
gods  forasmuch  as  they  had  deceived  him  and  his  guard- 
220 


iiii. 


■  -::, 


I 


XVI 

THE  BIRTH  OF  KRISHNA 

Nanda  Lal  Bose 


Page  220 


-     I 


■ 


The  Feats  of  Krishna's  Youth 

ing  of  Devaki  had  been  in  vain,  and  especially  he  longed 
to  slay  Narayana — that  is,  Vishnu.  To  this  end  his  ministers 
counselled  him  to  slay  all  those  who  served  Vishnu,  Brah- 
mans,  yogis,  sannyasis,  and  all  holy  men.  Kans  gave 
orders  accordingly,  and  sent  forth  his  rakshasas  to  kill  cows 
and  Brahmans  and  all  worshippers  of  Hari. 

The  Feats  of  Krishna  s  Youth 

Meanwhile  there  were  great  rejoicings  in  Gokula  for  the 
birth    of   a   son   to   Nand    and    Yasoda:  the  astrologers 
prophesied    that  the   child   would    slay  the  demons  and 
should  be  called  Lord  of  the  Herd-girls,  the  gopls,  and  his 
glory  should  be  sung  throughout  the  world.     But  Kans 
knew  not  where  Shri  Krishna  had  been  born,  and  he  sent 
out  murderers  to  slay  all  children.      Among  his  followers 
there  was  a  rakshasl  named  Putana,  who  knew  of  the  birth 
of  Nand's  son,  and  she  went  to  Gokula  for  his  destruc- 
tion, taking  the  shape  of  a  beautiful  woman,  but  she  had 
poison  in  her  breasts.     She  went  to  Yasoda's  house  and 
made  herself  very  friendly,  and  presently  she  took  the  boy 
on  her  lap  and  gave  him  her  breast.     But  he  held  her  tightly 
and  drew  hard,  so  that  with  the  milk  he  took  away  her 
life.    She  fled  away,  but  Krishna  would  not  let  her  escape, 
and  she  fell  dead,  assuming  her  own  hideous  and  huge  form. 
Just  then  Nand  returned  from  Mathura,  where  he  had  gone 
for  paying  tribute ;  he  found  the  rakshasl  lying  dead,  and 
all  the  folk  of  Braj  standing  about  her.     They  told  him 
what  had  taken  place,  and  then  they  burnt   and   buried 
her  enormous  body.       But  her  body  gave    out   a    most 
sweet  fragrance   when    it  was  burnt,  and  the  reason  for 
that  was  that  Shri  Krishna  had  given  her  salvation  when 
he  drank  her  milk ;  blessed  are  all  those  whom  Vishnu 

slays. 

221 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <5feP  Buddhists 

It  was  not  long  after  this  that  a  feast  was  held  for  rejoicings 
at  the  birth  of  Krishna ;  but  he  was  forgotten  in  the 
general  merry-making,  and  lay  by  himself  under  a  cart. 
Now  another  rakshasl,  passing  by,  saw  that  he  lay  there 
sucking  his  toes,  and  to  avenge  Putana  she  sat  on  the  cart 
as  if  to  crush  it ;  but  Krishna  gave  a  kick  and  broke  the 
cart  and  killed  the  demoness.  All  the  pots  of  milk  and 
curds  in  the  cart  were  broken,  and  the  noise  of  the  broken 
cart  and  flowing  milk  brought  all  the  herd-boys  and  herd- 
girls  to  the  spot,  and  they  found  Krishna  safe  and  sound. 
When  Shrl  Krishna  was  five  months  old  another  fiend  came 
in  the  shape  of  a  whirlwind  to  sweep  him  away  from 
Yasoda's  lap  where  he  lay  ;  but  at  once  he  grew  so  heavy 
that  Yasoda  had  to  lay  him  down.  Then  the  storm 
became  a  cyclone,  but  no  harm  came  to  Krishna,  for  none 
could  even  lift  him.  But  at  last  he  allowed  the  whirlwind 
to  take  him  up  into  the  sky,  and  then,  while  the  people 
of  Braj  were  weeping  and  lamenting,  Krishna  dashed  the 
rakshasa  down  and  killed  him,  and  the  storm  was  over. 

Krishna's  Mischief 

Krishna  and  Balaram  grew  up  together  in  Gokula  ;  their 
friends  were  the  gopas  and  gopls,  the  herd-boys  and  herd- 
girls  ;  their  hair  was  curly,  they  wore  blue  and  yellow 
tunics,  and  crawled  about  and  played  with  toys  and  used  to 
catch  hold  of  the  calves'  tails  and  tumble  down  ;  and 
RohinI  and  Yasoda  followed  them  about  lest  any  accident 
should  happen  to  them.  But  Krishna  was  very  mis- 
chievous. He  used  to  take  away  the  pots  of  curds  when 
the  gopls  were  asleep;  when  he  saw  anything  on  a  high 
shelf  he  would  climb  up  and  pull  it  down  and  eat  some  of 
it,  and  spill  or  hide  the  rest.  The  gopls  used  to  go  and 
complain  of  him    to  Yasoda,  calling  him  a  butter-thief ; 

222 


Krishna's  Mischief 

and  she  found  him,  and  told  him  he  must  not  take  the 
food  from  other  people's  houses.  But  he  made  up  a 
plausible  story,  and  said  the  gopls  had  fed  him  them- 
selves or  asked  him  to  do  some  work  for  them  ;  and 
now,  he  said,  "they  are  telling  tales  of  me."  So  Krishna 
always  got  the  best  of  it. 

One  day  he  was  playing  with  Balaram  in  the  courtyard 
and  ate  some  clay,  and  one  of  his  comrades  told  Yasoda, 
and  she  came  with  a  switch  to  beat  him.  But  he  had 
wiped  his  mouth  and  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  matter. 
However,  Yasoda  insisted  on  looking  inside  his  mouth; 
but  when  he  opened  his  mouth  what  she  saw  there  was 
the  whole  universe,  the  "Three  Worlds."  Then  she  said 
to  herself :  "  How  silly  am  I  to  think  that  the  Lord  of  the 
Three  Worlds  could  be  my  son."  But  Vishnu  again 
veiled  his  Godhead,  and  Yasoda  fondled  the  child  and 
took  him  home. 

Another  time,   when    he   had  been    stealing   butter   and 
Yasoda  was  going  to  beat  him,  she  found  him  with  his 
comrades  sitting  in  a  circle,  and  Krishna  was  eating  and 
giving  others  to  eat.     Then  Krishna,  seeing  his  mother, 
ran  up  to  her,  saying :  "  O  mother,  I  don't  know  who  upset 
the  buttermilk;  let  me  go."     So  she  could  only  laugh; 
but  she  took  him  home  and  tied  him  to  a  big  wooden 
mortar  to  keep  him  out  of  mischief.     But  he  just  then 
remembered    that   two    men    had    once   been   cursed    by 
Narada   to    remain   in    the   form    of    trees    till    Krishna 
should   release  them,  and    he   dragged  the  mortar  after 
him   and   went   to  the  grove  where  the  trees  were,  and 
pulled  the  trees  up  by  the  roots.     Two  men  appeared  in 
their  place:    Krishna  promised   them   a  boon,   and   they 
prayed  that  their  hearts  might  always  be  attached  to  him. 
This   Krishna   granted,   and  dismissed   them.     Presently 


223 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  SP  Buddhists 

Yasoda  came  and  found  that  Krishna  was  gone,  and 
she  ran  everywhere  to  seek  him;  but  when  the  gopls 
found  him  by  the  fallen  trees  and  heard  what  had 
happened  they  wondered  how  such  things  could  be,  and 
asked  each  other:  "Who  can  comprehend  the  doings  of 
Hari?"  Not  long  after  this  Nand  and  Yasoda  removed 
their  goods  and  chattels  from  Gokula,  where  they  suffered 
from  constant  dangers  and  oppression,  and  crossed  the 
river  to  Brindaban  and  began  to  live  there  in  peace  and 
ease. 

More  Miracles  of  Krishna 

When  Krishna  was  five  years  old  he  took  the  cattle  out 
into  the  woods  to  graze;  that  day  Kans  sent  a  demon  in 
the  shape  of  a  crane,  and  he  came  to  Brindaban  and  sat 
on  the  river-bank  like  a  mountain.  All  the  herd-boys 
were  frightened;  but  Krishna  went  up  to  the  crane  and 
allowed  it  to  take  him  up  in  its  huge  beak.  Then  Krishna 
made  himself  so  hot  that  the  crane  was  glad  to  put  him 
out,  and  then  he  held  open  the  crane's  jaws  and  tore 
them  apart;  and  collecting  the  calves,  the  herd-boys  all 
went  home  with  Krishna,  laughing  and  playing. 
Another  time  Kans  sent  a  dragon  named  Aghasur;  he 
came  and  hid  himself  in  the  woods  with  his  mouth  open. 
The  herd-boys  thought  this  open  hole  was  a  mountain 
cave,  and  they  all  went  near  and  looked  in.  Just  then  the 
dragon  drew  in  his  breath,  and  all  the  gopas  and  calves 
were  swept  into  his  mouth  and  felt  the  poisonous  hot  vapour, 
and  cried  out  in  distress.  Krishna  heard  that  and  jumped 
into  the  dragon's  mouth  too,  and  then  the  mouth  was 
shut.  But  Krishna  made  himself  bigger  and  bigger  till 
the  dragon's  stomach  burst,  and  all  the  herd-boys  and 
calves  fell  out  unhurt. 
224 


More  Miracles  of  Krishna 

Another  time  Krishna  and  all  the  gopas  were  feasting  and 
laughing  and  talking  in  the  woods,  leaving  the  calves  to 
graze,  when  Brahma  came  and  stole  away  the  calves. 
Krishna  went  to  look  for  them  and  did  not  find  them, 
but  he  created  another  herd  just  like  them.  Then  he 
came  back  to  the  feasting-place  and  found  the  boys  gone 
too,  and  he  made  others  in  their  likeness  and  went  home 
in  the  evening  with  the  changeling  boys  and  calves,  and 
nobody  but  Krishna  knew  that  the  real  children  and 
calves  had  been  hidden  by  Brahma  in  a  mountain  cave. 
Meanwhile  a  year  went  by;  it  was  only  a  moment  of  time 
as  it  seemed  to  Brahma,  but  it  was  a  year  for  men. 
Brahma  remembered  his  doings  and  went  to  see  what  had 
happened.  He  found  the  boys  and  the  calves  asleep  in 
the  cave ;  then  he  went  to  Brindaban,  and  found  the  boys 
and  the  calves  there  too.  And  Krishna  made  all  the 
herd-boys  into  the  likeness  of  gods,  with  four  arms  and 
the  shape  of  Brahma  and  Rudra  and  Indra.  Seeing  this, 
the  Creator  was  struck  with  astonishment;  still  as  a 
picture,  he  forgot  himself,  and  his  thoughts  wandered 
away.  He  was  afflicted  like  an  unworshipped,  unhonoured 
stone  image.  But  Krishna,  when  he  saw  that  Brahma 
was  thus  afraid,  drew  back  all  those  illusory  forms  into 
himself,  and  Brahma  fell  at  Krishna's  feet  and  prayed 
his  pardon,  saying:  "All  things  are  enchanted  by  thy 
illusion;  but  who  can  bewilder  thee?  Thou  art  the 
creator  of  all,  in  whose  every  hair  are  many  such  Brahmas 
as  I.  Thou  compassionate  to  the  humble,  forgive  my 
fault."  Then  Krishna  smiled,  and  Brahma  restored  all 
the  herd-boys  and  calves.  When  they  awoke  they  knew 
nothing  of  the  time  that  had  passed,  but  only  praised 
Krishna  for  finding  the  calves  so  quickly;  then  they 
all  went  home. 

p  225 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  feP  Buddhists 

The  Quelling  of  Kaliya 

One  day  the  cowherds  started  out  very  early,  and  wandered 
through  the  woods  and  along  the  river-bank  till  they 
came  to  the  place  called  Kaliya.  They  drank  some  of  the 
water,  and  so  did  the  cows ;  but  all  at  once  they  rolled 
over  and  over  and  were  dying  of  poison.  Then  Krishna 
cast  a  life-giving  look  upon  them,  and  they  revived. 
Now  there  was  living  in  that  part  of  the  Jamna  a  poisonous 
hydra  or  naga  named  Kaliya,  and  for  four  leagues  all 
about  him  the  water  boiled  and  bubbled  with  poison.  No 
bird  or  beast  could  go  near,  and  only  one  solitary  tree 
grew  on  the  river-bank.  The  proper  home  of  Kaliya  was 
Ramanaka  Dwlpa,  but  he  had  been  driven  away  from 
there  by  fear  of  Garuda,  the  foe  of  all  serpents.  Garuda 
had  been  cursed  by  a  yogi  dwelling  at  Brindaban,  so  that 
he  could  not  come  to  Brindaban  without  meeting  his 
death.  Therefore  Kaliya  lived  at  Brindaban,  the  only 
place  where  Garuda  could  not  come. 

Presently  Krishna  began  to  play  at  ball  with  the  herd- 
boys,  and  while  they  were  playing  he  climbed  up  the 
kadamb  tree  that  hung  over  the  river-bank,  and  when 
the  ball  was  thrown  to  him  it  fell  into  the  river,  and  Shri 
Krishna  jumped  after  it.  Kaliya  rose  up  with  his  hundred 
and  ten  hoods  vomiting  poison,  and  Krishna's  friends 
stretched  out  their  hands  and  wept  and  cried,  and  the 
cows  ran  about  lowing  and  snorting.  Meanwhile  some  one 
ran  back  to  Brindaban  and  brought  RohinI  and  Yasoda 
and  Nand  and  all  the  gopas  and  gopls,  and  they  came 
running  and  stumbling  to  the  edge  of  Kallya's  whirlpool ; 
but  they  could  not  see  Krishna.  Only  Balaram  comforted 
every  one,  saying :  "  Krishna  will  come  back  very  soon.  He 
cannot  be  slain." 
226 


VMM 


»l«*. 


•  Ira) 


xvi  r 

KALIYA  DAMANA 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar 

Page  226 


p  i 


• 

• 


The  Quelling  of  Kaliiya 

Meanwhile  Kallya  wrapped  himself  round  about  Krishna's 
body,  but  Krishna  became  so  huge  that  Kallya  had  to 
release  him.  So  Krishna  saved  himself  from  every 
attack,  and  when  he  saw  the  Braj  folk  were  so  much 
afraid  he  suddenly  sprang  into  Kallya's  head  and  assumed 
the  weight  of  the  whole  universe,  and  danced  on  the  naga's 
heads,  beating  time  with  his  feet.  Then  Kallya  began 
to  die.  He  dashed  his  hoods  about,  putting  forth  his 
tongues,  and  streams  of  blood  poured  from  his  mouths. 
When  he  was  quite  overcome  the  thought  arose  in  his 
heart:  "This  must  be  the  Primal  Male,  for  none  other 
could  resist  my  venom  " ;  so  thinking,  he  gave  up  all  hope 
and  remained  still.  But  then  the  naga's  wives  came  and 
stood  round  Krishna,  and  some  stretched  out  their  folded 
hands  toward  him  and  some  bent  to  kiss  his  feet, 
worshipping  Krishna  and  praying  for  their  husband.  "Be 
pleased  to  release  this  one,"  they  said,  "  or  slay  us  with 
him,  for  death  itself  is  good  to  a  woman  without  a 
husband.  Moreover,  please  consider  that  it  is  the  nature 
of  a  serpent  to  be  venomous,  and  pardon  him."  Shrl 
Krishna  stepped  from  Kallya's  head,  and  Kallya  wor- 
shipped him  and  prayed  forgiveness  for  not  recognizing 
the  Lord.  So  Krishna  pardoned  him,  and  sent  him  away 
home  to  Ramanaka  Dwipa.  But  he  was  afraid  to  go 
there  because  of  Garuda.  When  he  told  Krishna  this 
he  answered  :  "  Go  without  fear.  When  Garuda  sees  the 
mark  of  my  feet  on  your  head  he  will  not  touch  you."  So 
Kallya  with  his  family  went  to  Ramanaka  Dwipa,  and 
Krishna  came  out  of  the  water. 

All  the  people  of  Braj  were  glad  when  Krishna  came  out 
safe ;  but  they  were  too  weary  to  go  home  that  day,  so 
they  spent  the  night  in  the  woods  near  Kallya's  whirlpool. 
But  about  midnight  a  terrible  forest  fire  broke  out,  and 

227 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

would  have  destroyed  the  trees  and  the  cows  and  the  people 
had  not  Shrl  Krishna  risen  and  drunk  up  the  fire  and  saved 
them.  In  the  morning  every  one  returned  to  their  homes 
rejoicing  and  singing. 

Krishna  s  Flute 

Now  the  hot  season  came  on,  but  because  of  Krishna  there 
was  only  perpetual  spring  in  Brindaban.  One  day  a  rak- 
shasa  came  in  the  form  of  a  cowherd,  and  played  with  the 
others;  but  Krishna  made  a  sign  to  Balaram  and  told 
him  to  kill  the  demon,  but  not  in  his  cowherd  shape. 
So  Balaram  let  the  demon  carry  him  off  on  his  back 
as  if  in  play,  and  when  they  were  some  distance  off, 
and  the  rakshasa  took  his  own  form  to  kill  Balaram, 
suddenly  Balaram  knocked  him  down  and  slew  him. 
While  this  had  been  going  on  the  cows  had  wandered 
away,  and  the  cowherds  could  not  find  them  in  the 
woods;  but  Krishna  climbed  up  a  kadamb  tree  and 
played  his  flute,  and  at  once  the  cows  and  the  boys 
came  running  to  him,  like  the  waters  of  a  river  that 
meets  the  sea. 

Krishna  used  often  to  play  his  flute  in  the  woods ;  all  the 
herd-girls  in  Braj,  when  they  heard  it,  would  go  out  and 
look  for  him ;  but  they  could  not  find  him,  and  had  to  wait 
till  he  came  back  again  in  the  evening.  So  they  sat  down 
together  in  the  road  and  talked  of  the  flute.  One  said : 
"  Just  see  how  that  bamboo  tube  is  honoured ;  drinking  the 
nectar  of  Krishna's  lips  all  day,  it  resounds  like  a  cloud  and 
pours  out  delight.  Why  is  it  more  beloved  than  we?  This 
thing  made  before  our  very  eyes  has  become  like  a  rival 
wife !  Even  the  gods  attend  when  Krishna  plays  his  flute. 
What  discipline  has  it  performed  that  all  things  are 
obedient  to  it ? "  Another  gopi  replied:  "First,  when  it 
228 


Krishna  steals  the  GopTs'  Clothes 

grew  in  the  bamboo  stem,  it  remembered  Hari ;  then  it 
endured  heat  and  cold  and  water  ;  and  lastly,  cut  to  pieces, 
it  breathed  the  smoke  of  its  own  burning.  Who  else  per- 
forms such  mortifications?  The  flute  was  made  perfect 
and  has  its  reward."  Then  another  Braj  woman  exclaimed: 
"Why  did  not  the  lord  of  Braj  make  flutes  of  us,  to  remain 
with  him  day  and  night?" 

Once  in  the  winter-time,  when  it  was  cold  and  frosty,  the 
Braj  girls  went  down  to  bathe  in  the  Jamna  together.  They 
made  an  image  of  Devi  and  worshipped  it  with  flowers 
and  fruit  and  incense,  and  prayed:  "O  goddess,  do  thou 
grant  that  Shri  Krishna  may  be  our  lord."  Then  they  fasted 
all  day  and  bathed,  and  when  night  came  they  slept  by 
the  river-side,  to  the  end  that  Devi  would  grant  their 
prayer. 

Krishna  steals  the  Gopls  Clothes 
Another  day  they  went  to  a  lonely  place  to  bathe  and  laid 
all  their  clothes  on  the  bank,  and  played  in  the  water  and 
sang  their  songs  in  praise  of  Hari.  But  Shri  Krishna  him- 
self was  sitting  near  by  in  a  tree  watching  his  cows.  Hearing 
their  songs,  he  came  near  very  quietly  and  looked  on;  then 
he  saw  the  clothes,  and  a  thought  came  into  his  mind, 
and  he  took  the  clothes  and  climbed  up  a  kadamb  tree. 
Presently  the  gopls  came  out  of  the  water,  and  could  not 
find  their  clothes.  They  looked  everywhere  to  find  them, 
till  at  last  one  girl  looked  up  and  saw  Shri  Krishna  sitting 
in  the  tree  with  the  bundle  of  clothes.  He  was  wearing  a 
crown  and  yellow  robes,  and  had  a  staff  in  his  hand,  and  he 
had  a  garland  of  flowers.  So  she  called  out  to  the  others  : 
"There  he  is,  who  steals  our  hearts  and  our  clothes,  up  in 
the  kadamb  tree."  Then  all  the  girls  were  ashamed  and 
jumped  into  the  water  to  hide  themselves,  and  stood  there 

229 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  §P  Buddhists 

praying  Krishna  to  give  them  their  clothes.  But  he  would 
not  give  them  ;  and,  "  by  Nand,"  he  said,  "you  must  come 
out  and  fetch  them." 

The  Braj  girls  were  not  very  pleased  at  that,  and  they 
said  :  "That  is  a  nice  thing  for  you  to  ask  ;  but  we  shall 
go  and  tell  our  fathers  and  friends  and  Nand  and  Yasoda, 
and  they  will  punish  you.  Thou  it  is  that  shouldst  pro- 
tect our  husbands'  honour.  And  it  is  for  thy  sake  we  are 
bathing  and  keeping  our  vows." 

Then  Krishna  answered :  "  If  you  are  really  and  truly 
bathing  for  my  sake,  then  cast  away  shame  and  receive 
your  clothes."  Then  the  gopls  said  to  themselves  :  "  What 
Hari  says,  that  alone  we  ought  to  respect ;  he  knows  all 
our  body  and  mind;  what  shame  in  this?"  And  they 
came  up  out  of  the  water  with  downcast  looks. 
But  Krishna  laughed  and  said  :  "Now  with  joined  hands 
come  forward  and  take  the  clothes."  The  gopls 
answered  :  "  Darling  of  Nand,  why  dost  thou  deceive  us  ? 
We  are  simple  Braj  girls  "  ;  but  they  joined  hands,  and 
Krishna  gave  them  the  clothes. 

Then  the  gopls  went  home,  and  Krishna  followed  with 
the  herd-boys  and  cows.  But  as  he  went  he  looked  again 
and  again  at  the  deep  forest  all  round  about,  and  began  to 
tell  of  the  glory  of  trees.  "  Behold,"  he  said,  "these  that 
have  come  into  the  world,  what  burdens  they  bear  and 
what  shelter  they  give  to  others.  It  is  good  that  such 
kindly  folk  are  here." 

Krishna  lifts  a  Mountain 

The  people  of  Braj  had  been  wont  to  worship  Indra,  king 

of  heaven  and  lord  of  rain.     Once,  when  they  had  made 

an  offering  to  Indra,  Krishna  came  and  persuaded  them 

to  give  up  his  worship.    "  Indra  is  no  supreme  deity,"  said 

230 


Krishna  lifts  a  Mountain 

he,  "  though  he  is  king  in  heaven  ;  he  is  afraid  of  the 
asuras.  And  the  rain  that  you  pray  for,  and  prosperity, 
these  depend  on  the  sun,  that  draws  up  the  waters  and 
makes  them  fall  again.  What  can  Indra  do?  What  virtue 
and  fate  determine,  alone  comes  to  pass."  Then  Krishna 
taught  them  to  worship  the  woods  and  streams  and  hills, 
and  especially  Mount  Govardhan.  So  they  brought 
offerings  of  flowers  and  fruits  and  sweetmeats  for  the 
mountain,  and  when  Nand  and  Yasoda  stood  before  the 
mountain,  with  minds  intent  on  him,  Krishna  assumed  a 
second  form,  like  that  of  the  mountain  god,  and  received 
the  offerings.  In  his  own  form  he  still  remained  with 
Nand  and  worshipped  the  mountain  king.  That  moun- 
tain received  the  offerings  and  ate  them  up,  so  that  all  the 
people  of  Braj  were  glad. 

But  Indra  was  greatly  enraged  at  the  loss  of  his  honour 
and  gifts ;  he  sent  for  the  King  of  the  Clouds,  and  ordered 
him  to  rain  over  Braj  and  Govardhan  till  both  were  swept 
away.     So  an  army  of  clouds  surrounded  the  district  of 
Braj  and  began  to  pour  down  sheets  of  water,  so  that  it 
seemed  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand.     Then  all 
the  Braj  folk,  with  Nand  and  Yasoda,  came  to  Krishna 
and  said :  "  You  persuaded  us  to  give  up  the  worship  of 
Indra;  now  bring  the  mountain  here  to  protect  us."     So 
Krishna  filled  Govardhan  with  the  burning  heat  of  his 
energy  and  lifted  him  up  on  his  little  finger,  and  all  the 
people  of  Braj,  with  the  cows,   took  shelter   under   the 
mountain,    looking    at    Krishna    in    utter   astonishment. 
Meanwhile  the  rain  that  fell  on  the  mountain  hissed  and 
evaporated,  and  although   torrents   of  water   rained  for 
seven  days,  not  even  a  drop  fell  in  Braj.     Then  Indra  gave 
up  the  conflict,  for  he  knew  that  none  but  an  incarnation 
of  the  Primal  Male  could  have  thus  withstood  him.     Next 

231 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§>?  Buddhists 

day  when  Krishna  and  Balaram  went  out  to  graze  the 
cows,  with  music  of  flute  and  song,  Indra  came  down 
from  heaven  upon  his  elephant  Airavata  and  fell  at  the 
feet  of  Krishna  and  made  submission. 

The  Dance  of  Love 

The  time  Krishna  had  stolen  the  gopls'  clothes  he  made  a 
promise  to  dance  with  them  in  the  month  of  Karttik,  and 
they  had  ever  since  been  eagerly  waiting  for  the  appointed 
time.  At  last  the  autumn  came,  when  heat  and  cold  and 
rain  were  finished  and  all  the  country  was  full  of  delight ; 
and  Krishna  went  out  on  the  night  of  full  moon  in  Karttik. 
A  gentle  air  was  blowing,  the  stars  shone  bright  and  clear, 
and  all  the  woods  and  meadows  were  bathed  in  moonlight ; 
so  Krishna  determined  to  fulfil  his  promise,  and  went 
toward  the  forest  playing  his  flute.  The  Braj  girls  were 
restless  and  disturbed  at  the  sound  of  the  flute,  calling 
them  away  from  their  homes,  till  at  last  they  cast  off  the 
illusion  of  family,  put  off  their  shame,  and  left  their 
household  duties,  decked  themselves  hurriedly,  and  ran 
out  to  Krishna.  One  as  she  went  was  stopped  by  her 
husband  and  brought  back  to  her  house  and  bound; 
but  she  set  her  mind  only  on  Hari,  and  so  left  her  body 
and  came  to  him  first,  before  all  the  others,  and  Krishna, 
because  of  her  love,  gave  her  full  salvation. 
Now  she  did  not  think  that  Krishna  was  God  when  she 
died  for  his  love ;  it  was  as  a  man  she  desired  him.  How, 
then,  could  she  come  by  salvation  ?  Even  if  one  should 
drink  the  water  of  life  unknowingly,  still  he  will  be 
immortal ;  just  such  is  the  fruit  of  worshipping  Hari. 
There  were  many  that  won  salvation  through  him,  how- 
soever diverse  their  will  toward  him.  Nand  and  Yasoda 
deemed  him  their  son  ;  the  gopls  thought  him  their  lover; 
232 


The  Dance  of  Love 

Kans  did  him  honour  by  fear;  the  Pandavas  found  him  a 
friend;  Shishupal  honoured  him  as  a  foe;  theYaduvamsIs 
thought  he  was  one  of  themselves  ;  the  yogis  and  rishis 
pondered  upon  him  as  God  ;  but  all  these  alike  attained 
salvation.  What  wonder,  then,  if  one  herd-girl,  fixing 
her  heart  upon  him,  should  reach  the  farther  shore  of 
existence  ? 

At  last  the  gopls,  following  the  sound  of  the  flute,  came 
upon  Krishna  deep  in  the  forest,  and  stood  gazing  upon 
his  loveliness,  astonished  and  abashed.  Then  Krishna 
inquired  of  their  welfare  and  blamed  them  for  leaving 
their  husbands ;  and  he  said :  "  As  it  is,  you  have  seen 
the  dense  forest,  the  silvery  moonlight,  the  beautiful  banks 
of  the  Jamna;  so  now  go  home  to  your  husbands."  All 
the  gopls,  when  they  heard  these  cruel  words,  were  stricken 
senseless  and  sank  in  a  boundless  ocean  of  thought,  and 
the  tears  fell  from  their  eyes  like  a  broken  necklace  of 
pearls.  At  last  they  found  words  to  reproach  him.  "  O 
Krishna,"  they  said,  "you  are  a  great  deceiver.  You  led 
us  away  by  your  flute  and  stole  our  hearts  and  minds  and 
wealth,  and  now  you  are  cold  and  unkind  and  would  put 
an  end  to  our  lives.  We  have  abandoned  clan  and  home 
and  husband,  and  despised  the  reproach  of  the  world ;  now 
there  is  none  to  protect  us  but  you,  O  Lord  of  Braj. 
Where  shall  we  go  and  make  our  home,  for  we  are 
enwrapped  in  love  of  you?" 

Then  Shri  Krishna  smiled  and  called  them  near,  and  asked 
them  to  dance  with  him,  and  made  them  glad.  Then  by 
his  skill  he  formed  a  golden  terrace  in  a  circle  on  the 
Jamna  bank,  and  it  was  planted  all  about  with  plantain- 
trees  hung  with  wreaths  and  garlands  of  all  manner  of 
flowers.  Then  the  gopls  went  to  a  pool  named  Mana- 
sarowar,  and  decked  themselves  from  head  to  foot,  and  were 


21 1 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

well  apparelled  in  robes  and  jewels.  They  brought  lutes 
and  cymbals  and  began  to  play  and  sing  and  dance,  while 
Govinda  stood  amidst  them  like  a  moon  in  a  starry  sky. 
So  they  altogether  gave  up  restraint  and  shame  and  were 
intoxicate  with  love,  and  they  thought  of  Krishna  as 
now  entirely  their  own. 

But   he   saw  their  pride   and  left  them  alone;    he  took 
only  Radha    with    him    and   vanished.      Then   all    the 
gopls  were  frightened   and  sad,  and  began  to  ask  each 
other   where     Krishna   had    gone,    and    they    began    to 
search  for  him  here  and  there,  crying  out:   "Why  have 
you  left  us,  O  Lord  of  Braj,  who  have  surrendered  all  to 
thee?"     At  last  they  began  to  ask  the  trees  and  birds  and 
beasts,  as  the  fig-trees,  the  cuckoo,  and  the  deer:  " Has  the 
Darling  of  Nand  gone  here  or  there? "    At  last  they  found 
the  marks  of  his  lotus  feet,  and  near  them  the  footprints 
of  a  woman ;  and  then  they  came  on  a  bed  of  leaves  and 
a  jewelled  mirror  beside  it.     They  asked  the  mirror  where 
he    had  gone,  and  when  there  was  no  reply  the  pain  of 
separation  overwhelmed  them  altogether.     Thus  for  their 
part  the  gopls  were  miserably  searching  for  Krishna  ;  but 
Radha  was  full  of  delight  and  fancied  herself  the  greatest 
of  all,  and  grew  so  proud  that  she  asked  Shri  Krishna  to 
carry  her  on  his  shoulders.     But  just  when  she  would  have 
climbed  up  he  vanished  away,  and  she  stood  there  alone 
with  hands  outstretched,  like  moonlight  without  the  moon 
or  lightning  without  its  clouds ;  so  fair  she  was  that  her 
radiance  streamed  upon  the  ground  and  made  it  shine  like 
gold.     She  stood  there  and  wept,  and  all  the  birds  and 
beasts  and  trees  and  creepers  were  crying  with  her. 
The  gopls  found  her  standing  there,  and   they  were  as 
glad  to  see  her  as  anyone  would  be  who  had  lost  a  great 
treasure  and  found  the  half  of  it.     They  embraced  her 

234 


The  Dance  of  Love 

again  and  again,  and  then  entered  the  forest  with  her  to 
search  for  Krishna.  As  far  as  there  was  any  moonlight  they 
went ;  but  when  they  could  find  no  path  in  the  dark  forest, 
they  had  to  come  back.  They  sat  them  down  on  Jamna 
bank,  and  talked  of  Krishna  and  cried  out  for  him  till  they 
were  faint  and  tired ;  but  still  he  did  not  come. 
Now  when  Krishna  saw  that  the  gopls  were  dying  for  love 
he  appeared  again  in  their  midst,  so  that  they  all  came  up 
out  of  the  ocean  of  loneliness  and  were  glad,  for  he  said 
to  them:  "This  I  have  done  to  try  you.  How  can  I  now 
reward  you  enough  ?  For  like  a  vairagl  leaving  his  home 
and  giving  his  heart  to  God,  you  have  come  to  me."  Then 
Krishna  played  and  danced  with  the  gopls.  He  made  his 
appearance  manifold  and  danced  with  them  in  a  ring,  so 
that  each  one  thought  that  Krishna  himself  was  by  her 
side  and  held  her  hands;  so  they  whirled  round  in  a  circle, 
the  dark  Krishna  and  fair  Braj  girls,  like  a  gold  and 
sapphire  necklace.  Then  some  of  them  played  on  their 
lutes  and  sang  in  many  modes;  so  rapt  were  they  that 
mind  and  body  were  both  forgotten.  When  one  of  them 
stopped  the  sound  of  flute  with  her  hand  and  sang  the 
notes  of  the  flute  herself,  then  Krishna  forgot  all  else,  as  a 
child,  seeing  its  face  in  a  mirror,  forgets  everything  else  in 
its  wonder.  So  they  spent  the  time,  and  even  the  gods 
came  down  from  heaven  to  see  the  dancing,  and  wind  and 
water  stood  still  to  hearken.  But  when  four  watches  yet 
remained  of  the  night  Krishna  said  it  was  time  for  the 
gopls  to  go  to  their  homes,  and  to  comfort  them  he  said : 
"  Do  you  ever  meditate  upon  me,  as  yogis  do,  that  I  may 
always  be  near  you."  So  they  were  satisfied  and  returned 
to  their  homes,  and  no  one  knew  they  had  been  away. 


235 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  gf  Buddhists 

The  Journey  to  Mathura 

When  all  other  plans  for  slaying  Krishna  had  failed 
Kans  determined  to  lure  him  to  Mathura.  He  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  Nand  to  invite  the  cowherds,  with  Krishna  and 
Balaram,  to  a  sacrifice  to  Shiva  and  sports  and  festivities 
to  take  place  in  Mathura.  This  invitation  was  accepted, 
and  all  the  Braj  folk,  with  their  flocks  and  herds  and  carts, 
set  out  for  the  city;  only  the  herd-girls  remained  behind 
weeping,  and  stood  with  Yasoda  watching  to  catch  the 
last  glimpse  of  Krishna  and  begging  him  to  come  back 
again  soon. 

The  Braj  folk,  when  they  arrived  at  Mathura,  sent  offerings 
to  Kans,  and  made  their  camp  outside  the  city.  Krishna 
and  Balaram  went  in  to  see  the  wonders  of  the  town,  with 
its  great  walls  and  palaces  and  gardens  and  groves.  On 
the  way  they  met  a  washerman  and  asked  him  for  fine 
clothes,  and  when  he  laughed  and  refused  they  took  them 
by  force  and  made  themselves  very  gay.  Soon  after  they 
met  a  humpbacked  woman,  who  prayed  that  Krishna 
would  let  her  rub  sandal-paste  on  his  body;  and  he,  for 
her  deep  devotion,  went  up  to  her,  placing  foot  on  foot, 
and  with  two  fingers  under  her  chin,  lifted  her  up  and 
made  her  straight  and  fair,  and  he  said :  "  When  I  have 
slain  Kans  I  will  come  and  be  with  you." 

The  Tournament  at  Mathura 

Presently  the  brothers  came  to  the  lists  where  Shiva's  bow 
was  set  up,  huge  as  three  palm-trees,  and  great  and  heavy ; 
and  Krishna  went  up  to  the  bow  and  pulled  it,  and  broke 
it  in  two  with  a  great  noise.  When  Kans  heard  that,  he 
was  terrified  and  saw  death  approaching ;  but  he  sent  men 
out  to  kill  the  brothers.  But  they  slew  all  the  soldiers 
236 


The  Tournament  at  Mathura 

that  Kans  sent  out  against  them,  and  returned  to  the  cow- 
herds' camp  and  said  they  had  seen  the  city  and  had  good 
sport,  and  now  were  tired  and  hungry;  so  Nand  gave 
them  food  and  they  went  to  sleep.  But  Kans  had  evil 
dreams,  and  when  he  woke  he  gave  orders  to  have  the 
lists  prepared  for  the  tournament  and  the  trumpets  blown 
for  assembly.  Shrl  Krishna  and  Balaram  went  to  the 
tournament  disguised  as  jugglers,  and  all  the  cowherds 
followed  them.  When  they  came  to  the  gate  of  the  lists 
there  was  a  furious  elephant,  as  strong  as  ten  thousand 
common  elephants,  waiting,  and  the  driver  rode  it  at 
Krishna  to  crush  him;  but  Balaram  gave  it  such  a  blow 
with  his  fist  that  it  turned  back,  and  when  it  was  driven 
against  them  again  the  two  brothers  killed  it  easily.  Then 
they  entered  the  lists,  and  to  each  Krishna  appeared  as 
their  own  nature  revealed  him  :  the  wrestlers  thought  him 
a  wrestler,  the  gods  knew  him  as  their  lord,  the  herd- 
boys  as  a  friend,  the  women  of  Mathura  thought  him  the 
treasure  of  beauty,  and  Kans  and  the  rakshasas  thought 
he  was  Death  himself. 

Soon  Krishna  had  fought  with  all  the  king's  wrestlers 
and  slain  the  strongest;  then  he  sprang  up  on  the  royal 
dais  and  dragged  the  king  by  his  hair  and  killed  him  then 
and  there,  so  that  men  and  gods  and  saints  were  delighted. 
When  the  king's  wives  heard  of  this  they  came  forth  and 
mourned  over  him  inconsolably,  till  Krishna  comforted 
them  with  deep  wisdom.  "O  Mother,  grieve  not,"  he 
said  ;  "  none  may  live  and  not  die.  He  is  mistaken  who 
thinks  that  anything  is  his  own.  No  one  is  father  or 
mother  or  son;  there  is  only  the  constant  succession  of 
birth  and  death."  Then  Kans'  funeral  rites  were  done 
by  Jamna  bank,  and  Krishna  himself  set  light  to  the  pyre. 
Then  Krishna  and  Balaram  went  to  Vasudeva  and  Devaki 

237 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  dP  Buddhists 

and  set  them  free;  and  they,  perceiving  his  form,  knew 
him  for  God,  till  again  he  hid  his  Godhead,  so  that 
they  thought  him  their  son,  and  they  embraced  the  two 
brothers  gladly.  Then  Krishna  established  his  grand- 
father Ugrasena  upon  the  throne,  and  asking  Nand  to 
return  to  Brindaban,  Krishna  began  to  dwell  with  his 
friends  in  Mathura.  The  Braj  girls  were  always  mourning 
for  Krishna,  for  he  did  not  return  to  Brindaban ;  but  he 
sent  a  messenger,  saying :  "  Do  you  now  give  up  the  hope 
of  delight,  and  practise  only  devotion:  I  shall  never  be 
absent  from  you."  Little  did  such  a  message  comfort 
them  when  they  thought  of  his  flute  and  the  dance,  for 
they  thought  that  prayer  and  vows  and  self-restraint  more 
fitting  for  widows  than  for  devoted  hearts,  and  they  thought 
the  reason  he  stayed  in  Mathura  was  that  more  beautiful 
women  had  won  his  love,  or  he  preferred  the  court  life  to 
dwelling  with  cowherds.  They  sent  a  message  back  to 
say:  "O  Lord,  you  have  spoken  of  spiritual  union,  while 
all  the  time  there  is  disunion  between  us;  but  rather  come 
back  to  us  who  are  dying  for  love  and  save  our  lives." 
Yet  there  was  no  help  for  it,  for  that  which  had  been 
could  not  be  again  as  it  had  been. 

About  this  time  news  came  of  the  Kurus  and  Pandavas, 
how  the  latter  were  sorely  oppressed,  and  Krishna  sent 
messengers  to  find  out  news  of  the  matter;  and  the 
messenger  went  to  Hastinapur  and  came  again  with  the 
tale. 

The  Migration  to  Dwarakd 

Meanwhile  a  rakshasa  named  Jurasindhu,  father-in-law  of 
Kans,  invaded  Mathura  with  a  vast  army;  and  though 
Krishna  destroyed  his  army  of  demons,  another  asura, 
Kalayavan  by  name,  surrounded  Mathura  with  another 
238  ' 


The  Migration  to  Dwaraka 

army  of  thirty  million  monstrous  fiends.  Then  Krishna 
thought  it  well  to  depart;  and  he  summoned  Vishvakarma 
and  bade  him  prepare  a  great  city  amidst  the  sea,  twelve 
leagues  in  extent,  and  to  convey  all  the  Yaduvamsls  thither 
without  their  being  aware  of  it.  So  Vishvakarma  trans- 
ported them  all  to  the  city  in  the  sea,  and  when  they 
awoke  they  marvelled  how  the  sea  had  surrounded 
Mathura,  for  they  did  not  know  what  had  happened. 
Then  leaving  the  people  in  Dwaraka,  Krishna  returned  to 
Mathura  and  slew  Kalayavan;  and  Jurasindhu  gave  him 
chase,  but  he  escaped,  and  returned  secretly  with  Balaram 
to  Dwaraka,  while  Jurasindhu  possessed  the  city  of 
Mathura. 

Now  at  that  time  there  was  born  in  Kundalpur  a  daughter 
of  Raja  Bhlshmak,  and  she  was  most  beautiful  and  gentle. 
When  Shri  Krishna  heard  of  this  his  heart  was  set  upon 
her  night  and  day.  She  also  heard  of  Krishna,  in  this 
wise:  there  had  come  to  Kundalpur  some  wandering 
yogis,  who  sang  the  praise  and  high  deeds  of  him,  and 
they  came  also  to  court  and  recited  their  tales,  and 
Rukmini  heard  as  she  sat  in  her  high  balcony,  so  that  the 
vine  of  love  sprang  up  in  her  breast.  Thereafter  night 
and  day  she  thought  of  nothing  but  Krishna  ;  sleeping 
and  waking,  or  eating  or  playing,  her  mind  was  set  upon 
him.  She  made  an  image  of  Gauri,  and  prayed  her  to 
give  her  the  Lord  of  the  Yadus  for  husband.  By  this 
time  Rukmini  was  of  age  to  be  married,  and  her  father 
and  brothers  sought  for  a  bridegroom.  The  eldest  brother, 
Rukma,  suggested  Shishupala,  king  of  Chanderi ;  but  the 
old  king  was  for  betrothing  her  to  Shri  Krishna.  But  the 
brothers  laughed  and  called  him  a  cowherd,  and  settled 
the  affair  for  Shishupala  and  sent  him  the  bridal  gift ;  and 
a  day  for  the  wedding  was  fixed.      All  the  city  people 

239 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

were  very  sad,  for  they  would  have  liked  Rukmini  to 
marry  Shrl  Krishna.  Rukmini  herself  was  told  of  what 
was  settled ;  but  she  answered :  "  The  Lord  of  the  World 
is  mine,  in  thought  and  word  and  deed."  Then  she  wrote 
a  letter  to  Krishna,  and  sent  a  Brahman  to  Dwaraka. 
This  was  the  letter :  "  Thou  art  a  Searcher  of  Hearts  and 
knowest  the  thoughts  of  all ;  what  need  I  say  ?  Thou  art 
my  refuge ;  my  honour  is  in  thy  hands.  Do  thou  act  so  as 
to  guard  it,  and  come  and  reveal  thyself  to  thy  servant." 
When  Shrl  Krishna  received  this  note  he  set  out  at  once  for 
Kundalpur.  Shishupala  was  there  already,  and  the  wedding 
about  to  take  place.  Krishna,  however,  succeeded  in 
carrying  Rukmini  off  and  took  her  away  on  his  car,  followed 
by  Balaram  and  all  his  army.  Shishupala  pursued  them 
with  Jurasindhu,  but  Krishna  beat  them  off,  and  defeated 
and  bound  Rukma,  and  carried  his  bride  home:  their 
son  was  Pradyumna,  a  rebirth  of  Kamadev.  Pradyumna's 
son  was  Aniruddha,  a  rebirth  of  Satrughna ;  he  married 
CharumatI,  though  this  alliance  did  not  suffice  to  heal  the 
family  feuds,  and  her  grandfather  Rukma  was  slain  by 
Balaram.  Afterwards  Aniruddha  also  married  Osha, 
daughter  of  Vanasur;  Krishna  waged  war  with  Vanasur 
to  rescue  his  grandson,  whom  Vanasur  had  imprisoned. 
In  this  war  Shiva  fought  on  the  side  of  Vanasur,  but  was 
defeated  and  made  his  submission  to  Krishna ;  then 
Krishna  welcomed  him  with  the  words  :  "  Shiva-ji,  there 
is  no  difference  between  thee  and  me,  and  whoever 
thinks  of  us  as  diverse  he  falls  into  Hell  and  is  not 
saved  ;  but  he  that  meditates  upon  thee  obtaineth  me 
also." 

Krishna  married  Mitrabinda,  Satibhama,  and  others, 
winning  each  by  great  deeds ;  and  another  time,  when  a 
demon  named  Bhaumasur  carried  off  and  concealed  many 
240 


Krishna  marries  Kalindi 

thousand  princesses,  Krishna  pursued  and  slew  him, 
and  received  these  also  into  his  house.  Each  of 
his  wives  had  ten  sons  and  one  daughter,  all  cloudy  of 
hue  and  moon-faced  and  lotus-eyed,  and  wearing  yellow 
and  blue.  The  people  of  Dwaraka  were  known  as  the 
Vrishnis. 

Krishna  marries  Kalindi 

While  Krishna  was  ruling  at  Dwaraka,  Duryodhana  was 
oppressing  the  Pandavas  at  Hastinapur  and  sought  to 
compass  their  death.  Krishna  and  Balarama  went  to  give 
them  help,  and  it  was  while  Krishna  was  the  Pandavas' 
guest  that  he  married  Kalindi,  daughter  of  the  Sun. 
Balaram  was  married  to  RewatI,  daughter  of  Raja  Rewat 
of  Arnta.  Once  Balaram  paid  a  visit  to  Braj,  and  related 
the  doings  of  Hari  to  Nand  and  Yasoda,  and  delighted 
the  gopls  with  dancing  and  music.  Krishna's  son  Sambu 
sought  to  marry  Lakshmana,  daughter  of  Duryodhana; 
but  he  was  taken  and  kept  a  prisoner  till  Balaram  went 
to  his  rescue  and  dragged  the  city  of  Hastinapur  down  to 
the  Ganges  bank  before  he  could  be  persuaded  to  spare 
the  people.  He  brought  away  Sambu  safe  with  his  bride 
to  Dwaraka. 

Once  Narada  visited  Krishna  at  Dwaraka  to  see  how  he 
dwelt  as  a  householder  with  all  his  thousands  of  wives. 
He  went  in  turn  to  the  palace  of  RukminI,  Satibhama, 
Mitrabinda,  and  others,  and  in  every  one  he  found  Krishna, 
and  marvelled  at  the  power  of  his  yoga-mdyd,  the  magic 
illusion  of  manifestation.  Another  time  Narada  came  and 
invited  Krishna  to  a  great  sacrifice  held  in  his  honour  by 
the  Pandavas.  At  this  glorious  ceremony  Shishupala  was 
present,  and  was  slain  by  Krishna.1 

1  For  this  episode  see  p.  157. 

Q  241 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Hiranyakashipii  s  Choice 

It  has  also  been  related  how  Rama  overcame  Ravana  in 
the  battle  for  the  recovery  of  Slta.  This  Shishupala  and 
this  Ravana  were  one  with  Hiranyakashipii,  an  impious 
Daitya  king,  who  nursed  an  implacable  hatred  for  Vishnu. 
He  met  his  death  when  blaspheming  against  God.  Vishnu 
himself  sprang  from  a  pillar  of  his  palace  in  the  form  of  a 
man-lion  (Narasimha)  and  tore  him  to  pieces.  It  is  said 
that  he  had  been  once  of  high  estate  in  Vishnu's  heaven, 
but  had  committed  a  great  fault ;  and  given  the  choice  of 
expiation  by  three  births  on  earth  as  the  enemy  of  Vishnu, 
or  seven  births  as  his  friend,  chose  the  former  as  leading 
to  the  soonest  return. 

It  should  be  noticed  that  Ravana  before  the  battle  in  a 
brief  moment  of  recollection  admits  Rama's  divinity,  and 
says  :  "  I  am  to  be  slain  by  him,  and  therefore  I  have 
carried  off  this  daughter  of  Janaka.  It  is  not  from  passion 
or  anger  that  I  retain  her.  I  desire,  being  slain,  to  reach 
that  highest  home  of  Vishnu."  Of  Shishupala  it  is  said 
that  he  more  than  any  other  creature  hated  Vishnu  in  his 
incarnation  as  Krishna,  and  for  this  reason  met  death  at 
his  hands ;  "  but  inasmuch  as  his  thoughts  were  ever  con- 
centred on  the  Lord,  albeit  in  hatred,  Shishupala  was 
united  with  him  after  death,  for  the  Lord  bestows  a 
heavenly  and  exalted  station  upon  those  he  slayeth,  even 
in  wrath." 

The  End  of  Krishna 

After  this  Krishna  again  went  to  join  the  Pandavas,  and 

remained  with  them  during  the   Great  War  as  Arjuna's 

charioteer.      On  the  field  of  Kurukshetra  he  uttered  the 

Bhagavad  Gitd.    He  was  present  at  the  death  of  Bhishma, 

242 


The  End  of  Krishna 

and  after  Duryodhana's  death  he  received  the  curse  of 
his  mother.  She  bewailed  the  death  of  her  son  and  of 
friend  and  foe;  then,  recognizing  Hari  as  the  Prime 
Mover,  the  One  behind  All,  she  cursed  him  for  letting 
such  things  befall.  This  was  her  curse  :  that  after  thirty- 
six  years  Krishna  should  perish  alone  and  miserably,  and 
his  people,  the  Vrishnis,  should  be  destroyed.  These 
things  in  due  time  came  to  pass.  A  madness  seized  the 
people  of  Dwaraka  so  that  they  fell  upon  one  another  and 
were  slain,  together  with  all  the  sons  and  grandsons  of 
Krishna.  Only  the  women  and  Krishna  and  Balarama 
remained  alive.  Then  Balarama  went  to  the  forest,  and 
Krishna  first  sent  a  messenger  to  the  Kuru  city,  to  place 
the  city  and  women  of  Dwaraka  under  the  Pandavas' 
protection,  and  then  took  leave  of  his  father ;  afterward 
he  himself  sought  the  forest,  where  Balaram  awaited 
him.  Krishna  discovered  his  brother  seated  under  a 
mighty  tree  on  the  edge  of  the  forest ;  he  sat  like  a  yogi, 
and  behold,  there  came  forth  from  his  mouth  a  mighty 
snake,  the  thousand-headed  naga  Ananta,  and  glided  away 
to  the  ocean.  Ocean  himself  and  the  sacred  rivers  and  many 
divine nagas  came  to  meet  him.  Thus  Krishna  beheld  his 
brother  depart  from  the  human  world,  and  he  wandered 
alone  in  the  forest.  He  that  was  full  of  energy  sat  down 
on  the  bare  earth  and  thought  of  Gandharl's  curse  and  all 
that  had  befallen,  and  he  knew  that  the  time  had  come 
for  his  own  departure.  He  restrained  his  senses  in  yoga 
and  laid  himself  down.  Then  there  came  a  hunter  that 
way  and  thought  him  a  deer,  and  loosed  a  shaft  and 
pierced  his  foot;  but  when  he  came  close  the  hunter 
beheld  a  man  wrapped  in  yellow  robes  practising  yoga. 
Thinking  himself  an  offender,  he  touched  his  feet.  Then 
Krishna  rose  and  gave  him  comfort,  and  himself  ascended 

243 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

to  Heaven,  filling  the  whole  sky  with  glory;  passing 
through  Indra's  paradise,  he  went  to  his  own  place. 
Arjuna  went  to  Dwaraka  and  brought  away  the  women  and 
children  of  the  Vrishnis,  and  set  out  for  Kurukshetra.  On  the 
way  a  band  of  warriors  attacked  the  cavalcade  and  carried 
away  a  great  part  of  the  women.  Arjuna  established  the 
others  with  the  remnant  of  Krishna's  descendants  in  new 
cities  ;  but  RukminI  and  many  others  of  Krishna's  wives 
became  SatI,  burning  themselves  on  a  pyre,  and  others 
became  ascetics  and  nuns.  The  waters  of  the  ocean 
advanced  and  overwhelmed  Dwaraka  so  that  no  trace 
remained. 


244 


CHAPTER  V  :  BUDDHA 

The  Historical  Foundation 

THE  history  of  Buddha,  it  may  be  said,  is  not  a 
myth.  It  is  true  that  it  is  possible  to  disentangle 
from  the  Buddha  legend,  as  from  the  Christ  story, 
a  nucleus  of  historical  fact.  To  do  this,  and  to  clearly  set 
forth  his  own  teaching,  has  been  one  great  achievement  of 
Oriental  scholarship  during  the  last  half-century.  Here, 
however,  we  shall  be  concerned  with  the  whole  mythical 
history  of  the  Buddha  as  related  in  various  works  which 
are  not,  strictly  speaking,  historical,  but  have  a  quite 
distinct  literary  and  spiritual  value  of  their  own.  But 
before  proceeding  to  set  forth  the  Buddha  myth,  it  will  be 
useful  to  briefly  summarize  its  historical  nucleus  so  far  as 
we  can  determine  it,  and  to  give  some  account  of  the 
Buddha's  doctrines. 

The  Life  of  Buddha 

By  the  fifth  century  before  Christ  the  Aryan  invaders  of 
India  had  already  pushed  beyond  the  Panjab  far  into  the 
plains,  and  were  settled  in  villages  and  little  kingdoms 
along  the  valley  of  the  Ganges.  One  of  the  Aryan  tribes, 
the  Shakyas,  was  established  at  Kapilavastu,  about  one 
hundred  miles  north-east  of  the  city  of  Benares  and  thirty 
or  forty  miles  south  of  the  Himalayas.  They  were  an 
agricultural  people,  whose  livelihood  depended  mainly  on 
rice  and  cattle.  The  raja  of  the  Shakyas  was  Suddhodana, 
to  whom  were  married  the  two  daughters  of  the  raja  of  a 
neighbouring  tribe,  the  Koliyans.  Both  were  childless 
until  in  her  forty-fifth  year  (about  563  B.C.)  the  elder 
became  the  mother  of  a  boy,  herself  dying  seven  days 
afterward.    The  boy's  family  name  was  Gautama,  and  the 

245 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

name  of  Siddhartha  was  afterward  given  to  him.  Gautama 
was  early  married  to  his  cousin  Yashodhara,  the  daughter 
of  the  raja  of  Koli,  and  lived  happily  with  her,  free  from 
the  knowledge  of  care  or  want.  In  his  twenty-ninth  year, 
as  the  result  of  four  visions,  of  age,  illness,  death,  and, 
lastly,  of  dignified  retreat  from  the  world  or  in  some  more 
normal  way,  the  problem  of  suffering  was  suddenly  and 
impressively  set  before  him.  Filled  with  the  thought 
of  the  insecurity  of  all  happiness  and  with  grief  at  the 
sufferings  of  others,  he  felt  a  growing  unrest  and  dissatis- 
faction with  the  vanity  of  life ;  and  when,  ten  years  after 
his  marriage,  a  son  was  born  to  him,  he  only  felt  that 
there  was  one  more  tie  to  be  broken  before  he  could  leave 
his  guarded  world  to  seek  a  solution  for  the  deep  problems 
of  life  and  a  way  of  escape  from  the  suffering  that  seemed 
inevitably  associated  with  it. 

The  same  night,  when  all  were  asleep,  he  left  the  palace, 
taking  only  his  horse  with  him,  and  attended  only  by  his 
charioteer,  Channa.  He  had  hoped  for  the  last  time  to 
hold  his  son  in  his  arms,  but,  finding  him  asleep  with 
Yashodhara,  feared  to  wake  the  mother,  and  so  turned  away 
for  ever  from  all  that  he  loved  most  to  become  a  homeless 
wanderer.  Truly,  it  is  danger  and  hardship,  and  not  safety 
or  happiness,  that  lure  men  to  great  deeds ! 
Gautama  attached  himself  in  turn  to  various  Brahman 
hermits  at  Rajagriha  in  the  Vindhyan  hills;  then,  dis- 
satisfied with  their  teaching,  he  endeavoured  by  solitary 
penance  in  the  forest,  after  the  manner  of  Brahman 
ascetics,  to  attain  superhuman  power  and  insight.  But 
after  enduring  the  most  severe  privations  and  practising 
self-mortification  with  the  greatest  determination  for  a 
long  period,  he  found  himself  no  nearer  to  enlightenment, 
though  he  acquired  great  reputation  as  a  saint.  Then  he 
246 


The  Temptation 

abandoned    this    life   and    again  took   regular   food ;    he 
sacrificed  this  reputation,  and  his  disciples  deserted  him. 

The  Temptation 

In  this  time  of  loneliness  and  failure  there  came  to  him 
the  great  temptation,  symbolically  described  as  presented 
to  him  by  Mara,  the  evil  one,  in  the  form  of  material  temp- 
tation and  assault.  Unvanquished,  however,  Gautama 
wandered  along  the  banks  of  the  river  Nairanjara  and 
took  his  seat  under  a  bo-tree  (Ficus  religiosa),  and  there 
received  a  simple  meal  from  the  hands  of  Sujata,  daughter 
of  a  neighbouring  villager,  who  at  first  mistook  him  for 
a  sylvan  deity.  During  the  day  he  sat  there,  still  assailed 
by  doubt  and  the  temptation  to  return  to  his  home.  But 
as  the  day  wore  on  his  mind  seemed  to  grow  clearer  and 
clearer,  his  doubts  vanished,  a  great  peace  came  over  him 
as  the  significance  of  all  things  made  itself  apparent.  So 
day  and  night  passed  till  by  the  dawn  came  perfect  know- 
ledge; Gautama  became  Buddha,  the  enlightened. 
With  perfect  enlightenment  there  came  upon  the  Buddha  a 
sense  of  great  isolation ;  how  could  it  be  possible  to  share 
this  wisdom  with  men  less  wise,  less  earnest  than  him- 
self? Was  it  likely  that  he  could  persuade  any  of  the 
truth  of  a  doctrine  of  self-salvation  by  self-restraint  and 
love,  without  any  reliance  upon  such  rituals  or  theologies 
as  men  everywhere  and  at  all  times  lean  upon  ?  Such 
isolation  comes  to  all  great  leaders ;  but  love  and  pity  for 
humanity  determined  the  Buddha  at  all  hazard  of  mis- 
understanding or  failure  to  preach  the  truth  he  had  seen. 
The  Buddha  accordingly  proceeded  to  Benares  to  "  turn 
the  wheel  of  the  Law,"  i.e.  to  set  rolling  the  chariot 
wheel  of  a  universal  empire  of  truth  and  righteousness. 
He  established  himself  in  the  "  Deer  Park  "  near  Benares, 

247 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

and  though  at  first  his  doctrine  was  not  well  received,  it 
was  not  long  before  it  was  accepted  by  his  old  disciples 
and  many  others.  Some  became  his  personal  followers  ; 
others  became  lay  disciples  without  leaving  the  house- 
hold life.  Amongst  those  who  accepted  his  teaching 
were  his  father  and  mother  and  wife  and  son.  After  a 
ministry  lasting  forty-five  years,  during  which  he  preached 
the  new  doctrines  in  Kapilavastu  and  the  neighbouring 
states,  and  established  an  order  of  Buddhist  monks,  and 
also,  though  reluctantly,  an  order  of  nuns,  the  Buddha 
passed  away  or  entered  into  Nirvana  (about  483  B.C.), 
surrounded  by  his  mournful  disciples. 

The  Teaching  of  Buddha 

If  we  know  comparatively  little  about  the  life  of  Buddha, 
we  have,  on  the  other  hand,  a  trustworthy  knowledge  of 
his  teaching.  Conceptions  of  the  personality  of  the 
Buddha  himself  have  indeed  changed,  but  the  substance 
of  his  teaching  has  been  preserved  intact  since  about 
250  B.C.,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  the 
works  then  accepted  formally  as  canonical  include  the 
essential  part  of  his  own  doctrine. 

It  is  necessary,  in  the  first  place,  to  realize  that  though  a 
reformer,  and  perhaps  from  a  priestly  point  of  view  a 
heretic  (if  such  a  word  can  be  used  in  connexion  with 
a  system  permitting  absolute  freedom  of  speculation), 
the  Buddha  was  brought  up  and  lived  and  died  as  a 
Hindu.  Comparatively  little  of  his  system  whether  of 
doctrine  or  ethics,  was  original,  or  calculated  to  deprive 
him  of  the  support  and  sympathy  of  the  best  among  the 
Brahmans,  many  of  whom  became  his  disciples.  The 
success  of  his  system  was  due  to  various  causes  :  the 
wonderful  personality  and  sweet  reasonableness  of  the 
248 


The  Teaching  of  Buddha 

man  himself,  his  courageous  and  constant  insistence  upon 
a  few  fundamental  principles,  and  to  the  way  in  which  he 
made  his  teaching  accessible  to  all  without  respect  to 
aristocracy  of  birth  or  intellect. 

The  idea  of  impermanence,  of  the  inevitable  connexion  of 
sorrow  with  life  and  of  life  with  desire,  the  doctrine  of 
rebirth,  of  karma  (every  man  must  reap  what  he  himself 
sows),  and  a  complex  formal  psychology — all  these  belong 
to  the  intellectual  atmosphere  of  the  Buddha's  own  time. 
Where  he  differed  most  profoundly  from  the  Brahmans 
was  in  his  denial  of  soul,  of  any  enduring  entity  in  man 
apart  from  temporary  associations  producing  the  illusion 
of  a  person,  an  ego. 

Yet  even  this  difference  is  more  apparent  than  real, 
and  we  find  in  later  times  that  it  became  almost 
impossible  to  distinguish  between  the  Buddhist  "Void" 
and  the  Brahman  "Self."  For  the  distinguishing  charac- 
teristic of  each  is  the  absence  of  any  characteristics  at 
all ;  each  is  other  than  Being,  and  other  than  non-Being. 
Even  the  word  "Nirvana"  is  common  to  Buddhism  and 
Hinduism,  and  controversy  turns  upon  whether  Nirvana 
is  or  is  not  equivalent  to  extinction.  The  question 
is  really  improper,  for  the  meaning  of  Nirvana  is  no 
more  than  a  freeing  from  the  fetters  of  individuality 
— as  the  space  enclosed  in  an  earthen  pot  is  freed  from 
its  limitation  and  becomes  one  with  infinite  space  when 
the  pot  is  broken.  Whether  we  call  that  infinite  space 
a  Void  or  a  Whole  is  more  a  matter  of  temperament 
than  of  fact;  what  is  important  is  to  realize  that  the 
apparent  separateness  of  any  portion  of  it  is  temporary 
and  unreal,  and  is  the  cause  of  all  pain. 
The  heresy  of  individuality,  then,  is  the  first  great  delusion 
which  the  one  who  would  set  out  on  the  Buddhist  road  to 

249 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  feP  Buddhists 

salvation  must  abandon.  Desire  to  maintain  this  illusory, 
individual  self  is  the  source  of  all  sorrow  and  evil  in  our 
experience.  The  idea  of  soul  or  self  is  illusory,  because 
there  is,  in  fact,  no  being,  only  an  everlasting  becoming. 
Those  free  from  these  delusions  could  enteronthe  path  which 
leads  to  peace  of  mind,  to  wisdom,  to  Nirvana  (Release). 
Most  briefly,  this  Path  is  summed  up  in  the  celebrated 

verse : 

To  cease  fro7n  all  sin, 

To  get  virtue, 

To  cleanse  one's  own  heart — 

This  is  the  religion  of  the  Buddhas. 

So  much  for  history.  Now  let  us  see  what  legends  the  race 
imagination  has  woven  around  this  story  of  the  Enlightened 
One.  We  have  to  begin  with  his  resolve  in  a  long  previous 
life  to  become  a  Buddha,  and  with  his  subsequent  incarna- 
tions in  many  forms,  till  at  last  he  was  born  as  the  Shakya 
prince  of  whom  we  have  spoken. 

How  StimedhpL  became  a  Buddha-Elect 

A  hundred  thousand  ages  past,  a  wealthy,  learned,  and 
righteous  Brahman  dwelt  in  the  great  city  of  Amara.  One 
day  he  sat  him  down,  reflecting  on  the  misery  of  rebirth, 
old  age,  and  disease,  exclaiming: 

There  is,  there  must  be,  an  escape  I 
Impossible  there  should  not  be  I 
Til  make  the  search  and  find  the  way, 
Which  front  existe?tce  shall  release  I 

Accordingly  he  retired  to  the  Himalayas  and  dwelt  as  a 
hermit  in  a  leaf-hut,  where  he  attained  to  great  wisdom. 
While  he  was  sunk  in  trance  there  was  born  One-who- 
overcame,  Dlpankara.     It  happened  that  this  Buddha  was 

250 


How  Sumedha  became  a  Buddha-Elect 

proceeding  on  his  way  near  where  Sumedha  lived,  and 
men  were  preparing  a  path  for  his  feet  to  tread.  Sumedha 
joined  in  this  work,  and  when  the  Buddha  approached  lay 
down  in  the  mud,  saying  to  himself: 

Can  I  but  keep  him  from  the  mire, 
To  me  great  merit  shall  accrue. 

As  he  lay  there  the  thought  came  to  his  mind :  "  Why 
should  I  not  now  cast  off  all  remaining  evil  in  myself  and 
enter  into  Nirvana?  But  let  me  not  do  so  all  for  myself 
alone;  rather  let  me  also  some  day  achieve  omniscience 
and  convey  a  multitude  of  beings  in  the  ship  of  doctrine 
over  the  ocean  of  rebirth  safely  to  the  farther  shore?" 
Dlpankara,  all-knowing,  paused  by  his  side  and  proclaimed 
him  to  the  multitude  as  one  who  ages  after  should  like- 
wise become  a  Buddha,  and  named  the  place  of  his  birth, 
his  family,  his  disciples,  and  his  tree.  At  this  the  people 
rejoiced;  for  they  thought,  if  we  attain  not  to  Nirvana 
now,  in  another  life,  taught  by  this  other  Buddha,  they 
would  have  again  a  good  opportunity  to  learn  the  truth ; 
for  the  doctrine  of  all  Buddhas  is  the  same.  All  nature 
then  showed  signs  and  presages  in  witness  of  Sumedha's 
undertaking  and  dedication :  each  tree  bore  fruit,  the  rivers 
stood  still,  a  rain  of  flowers  fell  down  from  Heaven,  the 
fires  of  Hell  died  down.  "Do  not  turn  back,"  Dlpankara 
said.  "Goon!  Advance!  Most  certainly  we  know  this 
thing  ;  surely  a  Buddha  shalt  thou  be!  "  Sumedha  deter- 
mined then  to  fulfil  the  conditions  of  a  Buddha — perfection 
in  alms,  in  keeping  the  precepts,  in  renunciation,  in  wisdom, 
in  courage,  in  patience,  in  truth,  in  resolution,  in  good- 
will, and  in  indifference.  Beginning,  then,  to  fulfil  these 
ten  conditions  of  the  quest,  Sumedha  returned  to  the 
forest  and  dwelt  there  till  he  passed  away. 

25J 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  8§P  Buddhists 

Thereafter  was  he  reborn  in  countless  forms — as  a  man,  as 
a  deva,1  as  an  animal,  and  in  all  these  forms  he  adhered  to 
the  path  marked  out,  so  that  it  is  said  there  exists  not  a 
particle  of  earth  where  the  Buddha  has  not  sacrificed  his 
life  for  the  sake  of  creatures.  The  story  of  these  rebirths 
is  given  in  the  Jataka  book,  where  550  births  are  related. 
Out  of  these  we  shall  select  a  few  typical  examples. 

The  Six-tusked  Elephant 

Once  upon  a  time  the  Buddha-elect  was  born  as  the  son  of 
the  elephant  chief  of  a  herd  of  eight  thousand  royal 
elephants,  who  lived  near  to  a  great  lake  in  the  Himalayas. 
In  the  middle  of  this  lake  was  clear  water,  and  round  this 
grew  sheets  of  white  and  coloured  water-lilies,  and  fields 
of  rice  and  gourds  and  sugar-cane  and  plantains;  it  was 
surrounded  by  a  bamboo  grove  and  a  ring  of  great  moun- 
tains. In  the  north-east  corner  of  the  lake  grew  a  huge 
banyan-tree,  and  on  the  west  side  there  was  an  enormous 
golden  cave.  In  the  rainy  season  the  elephants  lived  in 
the  cave,  and  in  the  hot  weather  they  gathered  under  the 
branches  of  the  banyan  to  enjoy  the  cool  shade.  One  day 
the  Buddha-elect  with  his  two  wives  went  to  a  grove  of 
sal-trees,  and  while  there  he  struck  one  of  the  trees  with  his 
head  so  that  a  shower  of  dry  leaves,  twigs,  and  red  ants 
fell  on  the  windward  side,  where  his  wife  Chullasubhadda 
happened  to  be  standing,  and  a  shower  of  green  leaves  and 
flowers  on  the  other  side,  where  his  other  wife,  Mahasu- 
bhadda,  was.  On  another  occasion  one  of  the  elephants 
brought  a  beautiful  seven-sprayed  lotus  to  the  Buddha-elect, 
and  he  received  it  and  gave  it  to  Mahasubhadda.  Because 
of  these  things  Chullasubhadda  was  offended  and  conceived 
a  grudge  against  the  Great  Being.    So  one  day  when  he  had 

1  Deva,  lit.  a  shining  one,  i.e.  a  god,  other  than  the  Supreme  God. 
252 


The  Six-tusked  Elephant 

prepared  an  offering  of  fruits  and  flowers,  and  was  enter- 
taining five  hundred  private  buddhas,  Chullasubhadda  also 
made  offerings  to  them,  and  made  a  prayer  that  she  might  be 
reborn  as  the  daughter  of  a  king  and  become  the  queen- 
consort  of  the  king  of  Benares,  and  so  have  power  to  move 
the  king  to  send  a  hunter  with  a  poisoned  arrow  to  wound 
and  slay  this  elephant.  Then  she  pined  away  and  died. 
In  due  course  her  wicked  wishes  were  fulfilled,  and  she 
became  the  favourite  wife  of  the  king  of  Benares,  dear  and 
pleasing  in  his  eyes.  She  remembered  her  past  lives,  and 
said  to  herself  that  now  she  would  have  the  elephant's 
tusks  brought  to  her.  So  she  went  to  bed  and  pretended 
to  be  very  ill.  When  the  king  heard  of  this  he  went  to 
her  room  and  sat  on  the  bed  and  asked  her :  "  Why  are 
you  pining  away,  like  a  wreath  of  withered  flowers  trampled 
under  foot?"  She  answered:  "It  is  because  of  an  un- 
attainable wish  "  ;  whereupon  he  promised  her  whatever 
she  desired.  So  she  had  all  the  hunters  of  the  kingdom 
called  together,  amounting  to  sixty  thousand,  and  told 
them  that  she  had  had  a  dream  of  a  magnificent  six-tusked 
white  elephant,  and  that  if  her  longing  for  the  tusks  could 
not  be  satisfied  she  would  die.  She  chose  one  of  the 
hunters,  who  was  a  coarse,  ill-favoured  man,  to  do  her 
work,  and  showed  him  the  way  to  the  lake  where  the 
Great  Being  lived,  and  promised  him  a  reward  of  five 
villages  when  she  received  the  tusks.  He  was  very  much 
afraid  of  the  task,  but  finally  consented  when  she  told  him 
that  she  had  also  dreamt  that  her  desire  would  be  fulfilled. 
She  fitted  him  out  with  weapons  and  necessaries  for  the 
journey,  giving  him  a  leather  parachute  to  descend  from 
the  hills  to  the  lake. 

Deeper  and  deeper  he  penetrated  into  the  Himalayan 
jungle,    far    beyond    the    haunts     of     men,    overcoming 

253 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

incredible  difficulties,  until  after  seven  years,  seven  months, 
and  seven  days'  weary  travelling  he  stood  by  the  great 
banyan-tree  where  the  Buddha-elect  and  the  other  elephants 
lived  so  peacefully  and  unsuspectingly.  He  dug  a  hole  in 
the  ground  and,  putting  on  the  yellow  robe  of  a  hermit, 
hid  in  it,  covering  it  over  except  a  little  space  for  his 
arrow.  When  the  Great  Being  passed  by  he  shot  him 
with  a  poisoned  arrow,  which  drove  him  nearly  mad  with 
anger  and  pain.  Just  when  he  would  have  killed  the 
wicked  hunter  he  noticed  his  yellow  robe — 

Emblem  of  sainthood,  priestly  guise, 
And  deemed  i7iviolate  by  the  wise. 

Seeing  this  robe,  the  wounded  elephant  recovered  his  self- 
control  and  asked  the  hunter  what  reason  he  had  for  slaying 
him.  The  hunter  told  him  his  story  of  the  dream  of  the 
queen  of  Benares.  The  Great  Being  understood  the  whole 
matter  very  well  and  suffered  the  hunter  to  take  his  tusks. 
But  so  great  was  he,  and  the  hunter  so  clumsy,  that  he  could 
not  cut  them  away ;  he  only  gave  the  Great  Being  unbear- 
able pain  and  filled  his  mouth  with  blood.  Then  he  took 
the  saw  in  his  own  trunk,  and  cut  them  off  and  gave  them 
to  the  hunter,  saying:  "The  tusks  of  wisdom  are  a  hundred 
times  dearer  to  me  than  these,  and  may  this  good  act  be 
the  reason  of  my  attaining  omniscience."  He  also  gave  the 
hunter  magic  power  to  return  to  Benares  in  seven  days,  and 
so  died  and  was  burned  on  a  pyre  by  the  other  elephants. 
The  hunter  took  back  the  tusks  to  the  queen  and,  evidently 
disapproving  of  her  wickedness  now  that  he  knew  its  full 
significance,  announced  that  the  elephant  against  whom  she 
had  felt  a  grudge  for  a  trifling  offence  had  been  slain  by 
him.  "  Is  he  dead  ?  "  she  cried ;  and,  giving  her  the  tusks, 
"  Rest  assured  he  is  dead,"  the  hunter  replied.     Taking 

254 


XIX 

THE  BODHISATTVA'S  TUSKS 
Abanindro  Nath  Tagore 

Page  254 


The  Tree-God 

the  beautiful  tusks  on  her  lap,  she  gazed  at  these  tokens 
of  one  that  had  been  her  dear  lord  in  another  life,  and  as 
she  gazed  she  was  filled  with  inconsolable  grief,  and  her 
heart  broke  and  she  died  the  same  day. 
Long  ages  afterward  she  was  born  at  Savatthi,  and  became 
a  nun.  She  went  one  day  with  other  Sisters  to  hear  the 
Buddha's  doctrine.  Gazing  upon  him,  so  peaceful  and 
radiant,  it  came  into  her  heart  that  she  had  once  been  his 
wife,  when  he  had  been  lord  of  a  herd  of  elephants,  and  she 
was  glad.  But  then  there  came  to  her  also  the  remem- 
brance of  her  wickedness — how  she  had  been  the  cause  of 
his  death  only  because  of  a  fancied  slight — and  her  heart 
grew  hot  within  her,  and  she  burst  into  tears  and  sobbed 
aloud.  Then  the  Master  smiled,  and  when  the  brethren 
asked  him  why  he  smiled,  he  told  this  story,  which  hearing, 
many  men  entered  on  the  Path,  and  the  Sister  herself 
afterward  attained  to  sainthood. 

The  Tree-God 

Long  ago,  when  Brahmadatta  was  king  of  Benares,  there 
came  this  thought  into  his  mind :  "  Everywhere  in  India 
there  are  kings  whose  palaces  have  many  columns ;  what 
if  I  build  a  palace  supported  by  a  single  column  only? 
Then  shall  I  be  the  first  and  singular  king  among  all  other 
kings."  So  he  summoned  his  craftsmen,  and  ordered  them 
to  build  him  a  magnificent  palace  supported  by  a  single 
pillar.  "  It  shall  be  done,"  they  said ;  and  away  they  went 
into  the  forest. 

There  they  found  a  tree,  tall  and  straight,  worthy  to  be  the 
single  pillar  of  such  a  palace.  But  the  road  was  too  rough 
and  the  distance  too  great  for  them  to  take  the  trunk  to 
the  city,  so  they  returned  to  the  king  and  asked  him  what 
was  to  be  done.     "  Somehow  or  other,"  he  said,  "  you  must 

255 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

bring  it,  and  that  without  delay."  But  they  answered 
that  neither  somehow  nor  anyhow  could  it  be  done. 
"Then,"  said  the  king,  "  you  must  select  a  tree  in  my  own 
park." 

There  they  found  a  lordly  sal-tree,  straight  and  beautiful, 
worshipped  alike  by  village  and  town  and  royal  family. 
They  told  the  king,  and  he  said  to  them :  "  Good,  go  and 
fell  the  tree  at  once."  But  they  could  not  do  this  without 
making  the  customary  offerings  to  the  tree-god  living 
there,  and  asking  him  to  depart.  So  they  made  offerings 
of  flowers  and  branches  and  lighted  lamps,  and  said  to  the 
tree :  "  On  the  seventh  day  from  this  we  shall  fell  the  tree,  by 
the  king's  command.  Let  any  deva  that  may  be  dwelling  in 
the  tree  depart  elsewhere,  and  not  unto  us  be  the  blame !  " 
The  god  that  dwelt  in  the  tree  heard  what  they  said,  and 
considered  thus:  "These  craftsmen  are  agreed  to  fell  my 
tree.  I  myself  shall  perish  when  my  home  is  destroyed. 
All  the  young  sal-trees  round  me  will  be  destroyed  as  well, 
in  which  many  devas  of  my  kith  and  kin  are  living.  My 
own  death  touches  me  not  so  nearly  as  the  destruction  of 
my  children,  so  let  me,  if  possible,  save  their  lives  at  least." 
So  at  the  hour  of  midnight  the  tree-god,  divinely  radiant, 
entered  the  king's  resplendent  chamber,  his  glory  lighting 
up  the  whole  room.  The  king  was  startled,  and  stammered 
out:  "What  being  art  thou,  so  god-like  and  so  full  of 
grief  ? "  The  deva-prince  replied :  "  I  am  called  in  thy 
realm,  O  king,  the  Lucky-tree;  for  sixty  thousand  years 
all  men  have  loved  and  worshipped  me.  Many  a  house 
and  many  a  town,  many  a  palace,  too,  they  made,  yet  never 
did  me  wrong;  honour  thou  me,  even  as  did  they,  O 
king ! "  But  the  king  answered  that  such  a  tree  was  just 
what  he  needed  for  his  palace,  a  trunk  so  fine  and  tall  and 
straight;  and  in  that  palace,  said  he,  "thou  shalt  long 
256 


The  Hare-Mark  on  the  Moon 

endure,  admired  of  all  who  behold  thee."  The  tree-god 
answered  :  "  If  it  must  be  so,  then  I  have  one  boon  to  ask  : 
Cut  first  the  top,  the  middle  next,  and  then  the  root  of 
me."  The  king  protested  that  this  was  a  more  painful 
death  than  to  be  felled  entire.  "O  forest  lord,"  he  said, 
"what  gain  is  thine  thus  to  be  cut  limb  from  limb  and 
piece  by  piece  ?  "  To  which  the  Lucky-tree  replied  :  "  There 
is  a  good  reason  for  my  wish  :  my  kith  and  kin  have 
grown  up  round  me,  beneath  my  shade,  and  I  should  crush 
them  if  I  fall  entire  upon  them,  and  they  would  grieve 
exceedingly." 

At  this  the  king  was  deeply  moved,  and  wondered 
at  the  tree-god's  noble  thought,  and  lifting  his  hands  in 
salutation,  he  said:  "O  Lucky-tree,  O  forest  lord,  as 
thou  wouldst  save  thy  kindred,  so  shall  I  spare  thee ;  so 
fear  nothing." 

Then  the  tree-god  gave  the  king  good  counsel  and  went 
his  way ;  and  the  king  next  day  gave  generous  alms,  and 
ruled  as  became  a  king  until  the  time  came  for  his  departure 
to  the  heavenly  world. 

The  Hare-Mark  on  the  Moon 

Once  upon  a  time,  when  Brahmadattawas  king  of  Benares, 
the  future  Buddha  was  born  as  a  hare  and  lived  in  a 
wood.  He  had  three  friends,  a  monkey,  a  jackal,  and  an 
otter;  all  these  animals  were  very  wise.  The  hare  used  to 
preach  to  the  others,  exhorting  them  to  give  alms  and 
keep  the  fast-days.  On  one  of  these  fast- days  the  hare 
and  his  friends  were  seeking  their  food  as  usual;  the  otter 
found  some  fish,  the  jackal  some  meat,  the  monkey  some 
mangoes.  But  the  hare,  as  he  lay  in  his  form  before 
going  out  to  eat  his  grass,  reflected  that  if  anyone  should 
ask  him  for  a  gift  of  food,  grass  would  be  useless.     As  he 

r  257 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

had  no  grain  or  meat  he  made  up  his  mind  to  give  up  his 
own  body  if  anyone  asked  him  for  food. 
Now  when  any  wonderful  thing  such  as  this  takes  place  on 
earth,  the  throne  of  Sakra  in  Heaven  grows  hot.  Sakra 
looked  down  to  see  what  was  happening,  and  perceiving  the 
hare,  determined  to  test  his  virtue.  He  took  the  shape  of 
a  Brahman,  and  went  first  to  the  otter  and  asked  for  food. 
The  otter  offered  him  fish.  The  jackal  and  the  monkey  in  turn 
offered  him  meat  and  fruit.  Sakra  declined  all  these  offers 
and  said  that  he  would  return  next  day.  Then  he  went  to  the 
hare,  who  was  overjoyed  at  the  chance  of  giving  himself 
in  alms.  "  Brahman,"  said  he,  "  to-day  I  will  give  such 
alms  as  I  never  gave  before  ;  gather  wood  and  prepare  a 
fire  and  tell  me  when  it  is  ready."  When  Sakra  heard  this 
he  made  aheap  of  live  coals  and  told  the  hare  that  all  was 
ready ;  then  the  hare,  who  would  some  day  be  a  Buddha, 
came  and  sprang  into  the  fire,  as  happy  as  a  royal  flamingo 
alighting  in  a  bed  of  water-lilies.  But  the  fire  did  not 
burn — it  seemed  as  cold  as  the  air  above  the  clouds.  At 
once  he  inquired  of  the  disguised  Sakra  what  this  might 
mean.  Sakra  replied  that  he  was  indeed  no  Brahman,  but 
had  come  down  from  Heaven  to  test  the  hare's  generosity. 
The  hare  replied  :  "  Sakra,  your  efforts  are  wasted ;  every 
creature  alive  might  try  me  in  turn,  and  none  could  find  in 
me  any  unwillingness  to  give." 

Then  Sakra  answered:  "Wise  hare,  let  your  virtue  be 
proclaimed  to  the  end  of  this  world-cycle."  Taking  a 
mountain,  he  squeezed  it,  and  holding  the  hare  under  his 
arm,  he  drew  an  outline  picture  of  him  on  the  moon,  using 
the  juice  of  the  mountain  for  his  ink.  Then  he  put  down 
the  hare  on  some  tender  grass  in  the  wood  and  departed 
to  his  own  heaven.  And  that  is  why  there  is  now  a  hare 
in  the  moon. 

258 


Santusita 

Santusita 

The  last  incarnation  of  the  Buddha-elect  of  this  age  was 
as  King  Vessantara,  concerning  whose  perfection  in  alms- 
giving a  long  yataka  is  related.  After  reigning  for  many 
years  the  Buddha-elect  passed  away  to  the  Tusita  heaven, 
to  await  his  final  birth  amongst  men.  It  should  be  under- 
stood that  a  Buddha-elect  shortens  his  stay  in  the  god- 
world  between  each  incarnation  as  much  as  possible, 
though  his  merit,  of  course,  entitles  him  to  lengthy  resi- 
dence there  ;  indeed,  he  might  have  attained  Nirvana  at 
the  time  of  his  first  assurance  of  future  Buddhahood  had 
he  not  chosen  constant  rebirth  in  this  world  for  the  sake 
of  creatures.  But  for  these  sacrifices  the  Bodhisattva 
(Buddha-elect)  has  some  compensations ;  in  itself  the 
attainment  of  Buddhahood  is  a  great  incentive,  a  feat 
likened  to  the  difficult  ascent  of  a  man  to  the  top  of  a 
tree  to  pluck  its  fruit.  Again,  a  Bodhisattva  is  never  born 
in  any  hell  nor  in  a  degraded  or  deformed  shape.  Above 
all,  the  pain  of  constant  sacrifice  is  overpowered  by  the 
joy  of  looking  forward  to  the  greatness  of  the  reward, 
the  attainment  of  power  to  enlighten  others. 
When  born  in  any  heaven  the  Buddha-elect  can  exercise 
his  peculiar  power  of  incarnation  at  will ;  he  lies  down 
upon  a  couch  and  "dies,"  being  reborn  on  earth  in  such 
place  and  manner  as  he  determines.  Previous  to  his  last 
incarnation,  contrary  to  custom  he  lingered  for  a  long  time 
in  the  Tusita  heaven,  where  he  was  known  as  Santusita  ; 
and  when  at  last  the  devas  perceived  that  he  was  about  to 
be  reborn,  they  gathered  round  him  with  congratulations. 
Vanishing  from  there,  he  was  conceived  in  the  womb  of 
Mahamaya,  wife  of  Suddhodana,  the  Shakya  king  of 
Kapilavastu.    His  conception  was  miraculous,  taking  place 

259 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

in  a  dream.  Mahamaya  was  translated  by  the  devas  of 
the  four  quarters  to  the  Himalayas,  and  there  bathed  and 
ceremonially  purified  by  their  four  queens.  Then  the 
Bodhisattva  appeared  to  her,  like  a  moonlit  cloud,  coming 
from  the  north,  holding  a  lotus  in  his  hand,  or,  ;as  some 
say,  in  the  form  of  a  white  elephant.  This  appearance 
approached  the  queen  and  circumambulated  her  thrice; 
at  that  moment,  Santusita,  who  had  followed  the  course  of 
the  dream,  disappeared  from  the  presence  of  the  devas  and 
entered  the  womb  of  Mahamaya.  At  this  moment  great 
wonders  took  place  :  the  ten  thousand  spheres  thrilled 
at  once,  the  fires  of  Hell  were  quenched,  instruments  of 
music  played  untouched,  the  flowing  of  rivers  ceased  (as 
if  to  stand  and  behold  the  Bodhisattva),  and  trees  and  herbs 
burst  into  flower,  even  beams  of  dry  wood  bore  lotus  blooms. 
Next  day  the  queen's  dream  was  interpreted  by  sixty-four 
Brahmans,  who  announced  that  she  would  have  a  son 
who  would  become  either  a  Universal  Emperor  or  a 
Supreme  Buddha.  For  nine  months  Mahamaya  was 
guarded  by  the  devas  of  the  four  quarters  and  forty 
thousand  devas  of  other  worlds.  Meanwhile  her  body 
was  transparent,  so  that  the  child  could  be  distinctly  seen, 
like  an  image  enclosed  in  a  crystal  casket.  At  the  con- 
clusion of  ten  lunar  months  Mahamaya  set  out  to  visit  her 
parents,  riding  in  a  golden  litter.  On  the  way  she  stopped 
to  rest  in  a  garden  of  sal-trees,  called  Lumbini ;  and  while 
resting  there  the  Buddha  was  born,  without  pain  or  suffer- 
ing. The  child  was  received  by  Brahma,  and  from  him 
by  the  four  devas,  and  from  them  by  the  nobles  attendant 
on  the  queen ;  but  at  once  he  stepped  to  the  ground,  and 
on  the  spot  first  touched  by  his  feet  there  sprang  up  a 
lotus.  On  the  same  day  were  born  Yashodhara  Devi, 
who  afterwards  became  his  wife ;  the  horse  Kantaka,  upon 
260 


The  Guarding  of  Siddhartha 

which  he  fled  from  the  city  when  he  went  forth  to  seek  for 
wisdom;  his  charioteer,  Channa,  who  accompanied  him 
on  that  occasion;  Ananda,  his  favourite  disciple;  and  the 
bo-tree  under  which  he  attained  enlightenment. 

The  Guarding  of  Siddhartha 

Five  days  after  his  birth  the  young  prince  was  named 
Siddhartha,  and  on  the  seventh  his  mother  died.  When 
he  was  twelve  years  old  the  king  took  counsel  with  his 
Brahmans,  who  informed  him  that  the  prince  would 
become  an  ascetic,  as  the  result  of  seeing  old  age,  sickness, 
death,  and  a  hermit.  The  king  desired  to  avoid  this 
event,  saying  to  himself :  "  I  do  not  wish  my  son  to  become 
a  Buddha,  as  in  so  doing  he  will  be  exposed  to  great 
danger  from  the  attacks  of  Mara ;  let  him  rather  become 
a  Universal  Emperor."  The  king  therefore  took  every  pre- 
caution to  keep  him  faraway  from  the  "  four  signs,"  having 
three  guarded  palaces  built,  where  every  delight  abounded, 
and  sorrow  and  death  might  not  even  be  mentioned. 
The  raja,  moreover,  thought  that  a  sure  way  to  attach  the 
prince  to  his  royal  estate  would  be  to  find  him  a  wife. 
In  order  to  discover  secretly  some  princess  who  might 
awaken  his  love  the  king  had  made  a  number  of  splendid 
jewels,  and  announced  that  on  a  certain  day  the  prince 
would  bestow  these  one  by  one  upon  the  noble  ladies  of 
the  land.  When  all  the  gifts  had  been  bestowed,  there 
came  one  lady  more,  whose  name  was  Yashodhara, 
daughter  of  the  minister  Mahanama.  She  asked  the 
prince  if  he  had  no  gift  for  her,  and  he,  meeting  her  eyes, 
gave  her  his  own  costly  signet-ring.  The  king  was  duly 
informed  of  the  glances  exchanged,  and  he  sent  to 
Mahanama  to  ask  his  daughter  in  marriage  for  the  prince. 
It  was,  however,  a  rule  amongst  the  Shakya  nobles  that 

261 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

the  fairest  maidens  could  be  given  only  to  those  who  proved 
themselves  victors  in  martial  exercises.  "And  I  fear,"  he 
said,  "  that  this  delicately  nurtured  prince  may  not  be  expert 
in  archery  or  wrestling."  However,  a  day  was  appointed 
for  the  trial,  and  the  young  nobles  came  with  the  prince 
to  compete  for  the  hand  of  Yashodhara.  There  was  first 
a  competition  in  literary  and  mathematical  lore,  and  then 
in  archery.  Each  of  the  young  nobles  did  well ;  but  the 
prince,  using  a  sacred  bow  handed  down  from  his  grand- 
father's time,  which  none  else  could  string,  much  less 
draw,  easily  surpassed  them,  and  he  excelled  in  turn  in 
riding,  swordsmanship,  and  wrestling.  Thus  he  won 
Yashodhara,  and  he  lived  with  her  in  the  beautiful  palace 
made  by  his  father,  guarded  from  all  knowledge  of  suffering 
and  death.  About  the  palace  was  a  great  garden  with  a 
triple  wall,  each  wall  with  a  single  gate,  well  guarded  by 
many  soldiers. 

Meanwhile  the  devas  reflected  that  time  was  passing,  and 
the  Great  One  ought  no  longer  to  linger  amid  the  pleasures 
of  the  palace,  but  must  go  forth  on  his  mission.  They 
therefore  filled  all  space  with  this  thought,  "  It  is  time  to 
go  forth,"  so  that  it  reached  the  mind  of  the  prince;  and 
at  the  same  time  the  music  of  the  singers  and  the  gestures 
of  the  dancers  assumed  a  new  meaning,  and  seemed  to  tell 
no  more  of  sensuous  delights,  but  of  the  impermanence 
and  vanity  of  every  object  of  desire.  The  songs  of  the 
musicians  seemed  to  call  to  the  prince  to  leave  the  palace 
and  see  the  world;  so  he  sent  for  his  charioteer,  and 
announced  that  he  wished  to  visit  the  city.  When  the 
raja  heard  this  he  ordered  the  city  to  be  swept  and  gar- 
nished and  made  ready  for  the  prince's  visit,  and  no  old 
or  infirm  person  nor  any  inauspicious  object  was  to  be 
left  in  view.  But  all  these  precautions  were  in  vain ;  for 
262 


The  Guarding  of  Siddhartha 

a  deva  appeared  before  him  as  he  drove  through  the 
streets,  in  the  form  of  a  tottering  old  man,  bent  with  sick- 
ness and  age,  short  of  breath,  and  wrinkled.  The  prince 
inquired  the  meaning  of  this  strange  sight,  and  his 
charioteer  replied:  "This  is  an  old  man."  The  prince 
again  asked  :  "What  is  the  meaning  of  this  word  'old'?" 
and  the  charioteer  explained  that  the  man's  bodily  powers 
were  now  impaired  by  long  years,  and  he  might  die  at  any 
moment.  Then  the  prince  asked  again  :  "  Is  this  man  one 
only,  or  does  this  fate  come  to  all  alike,  and  must  I  also 
become  old?"  And  when  he  was  informed  that  it  was 
even  so,  he  would  see  no  more  that  day,  but  returned  to 
the  palace  to  reflect  on  so  strange  a  thing  and  to  bethink 
him  if  there  were  no  way  of  escape. 

Another  day  the  prince  drove  out  again,  and  in  the  same 
way  beheld  a  man  very  ill;  and  still  another  day  he 
beheld  a  corpse.  "Must  I  also  die?"  he  asked,  and 
learnt  that  it  was  even  so.  On  another  day  still,  the 
prince  drove  out  and  beheld  a  begging  monk,  and  con- 
versed with  him ;  the  yogi  explained  that  he  had  left  the 
world  to  seek  equanimity,  to  have  done  with  hatred  and 
love,  to  attain  freedom  for  self.  The  prince  was  deeply 
affected  and  worshipped  the  wandering  beggar,  and 
returning  home,  prayed  his  father's  leave  to  go  forth  alone 
in  the  same  fashion,  for,  he  said  :  "  All  worldly  things,  O 
king,  are  changeable  and  impermanent."  The  old  king 
was  thunderstruck  and  could  but  weep  bitterly ;  and  when 
the  prince  had  retired  he  redoubled  the  guard  about 
the  palace  and  the  delights  within  it,  and,  indeed,  the 
whole  city  strove  to  prevent  the  prince  from  leaving  his 
home. 


263 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

T/ie  Departtire  of  Siddhartha 

About  this  time  Yashodhara  bore  a  son  to  Prince 
Siddhartha,  and  he  was  named  Rahula.  But  not  even 
this  new  tie  could  dissuade  the  prince  from  his  purpose, 
and  there  came  a  night  when  the  devas  called  upon  him  to 
depart.  He  beheld  for  the  last  time  Yashodhara  sleeping, 
with  one  hand  resting  on  the  baby's  head,  so  that  he  could 
not  even  lift  it  in  his  arms  for  fear  of  waking  her  ;  leaving 
them  both,  he  lifted  the  jewelled  net  that  divided  the 
chamber  from  the  outer  hall,  and  passing  slowly  through 
the  outer  rooms,  he  paused  at  the  eastern  door,  and 
invoked  all  the  Buddhas  and  stood  with  lifted  head 
surveying  the  sky  with  its  countless  stars.  Then  Sakra 
and  the  guardian  devas  of  the  four  quarters,  and  innumer- 
able devas  from  the  heavens,  surrounded  him  and  chanted  : 
"  Holy  Prince,  the  time  has  come  to  seek  the  Highest  Law 
of  Life."  Then  he  reflected:  "Now  all  the  devas  have 
come  down  to  earth  to  confirm  my  resolution.  I  will  go :  the 
time  has  come."  Then  he  sent  for  Channa,  his  charioteer, 
and  for  his  horse,  born  the  same  day  as  himself.  So 
Channa  brought  the  horse,  splendidly  caparisoned,  and  he 
neighed  with  joy;  then  the  prince  mounted  him,  making 
a  vow  that  it  should  be  for  the  last  time.  The  devas 
lifted  Kantaka's  feet  from  the  ground  that  he  might  make 
no  noise,  and  when  they  came  to  the  gates  each  opened 
silently  of  itself.  Thus  Prince  Siddhartha  left  the  palace 
and  the  city,  followed  by  hosts  of  angels  lighting  up  the 
path  and  scattering  flowers  before  him. 
Channa  strove  continually  to  dissuade  the  prince  from 
his  purpose,  praying  him  rather  to  become  a  Universal 
Emperor.  But  the  prince  knew  that  he  would  attain 
Perfect  Enlightenment,  and  would  have  preferred  any 
264 


rK\ 


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xx 

DEPARTURE  OF  PRINCE  SIDDHARTHA 

Abanindro  Nath  Tagore 

Page  264 


The  Wanderings  of  Siddhartha 

death  to  returning  home.     He  dismounted  from  Kantaka 
for    the    last    time    and    ordered  Channa   to    lead    him 
home.     By  him    also    he  sent   a   message  to  his  father 
that  he  should  not   grieve,  but    rather   rejoice   that   his 
son  had  set  forth  to  find  out  a  means  of  saving  the  world 
from    the    recurrence   of   birth   and    death,   from  sorrow 
and  pain.    "  And  I  am  now  freed,"  he  said,  "  from  the  love 
due     only   to    relatives;    take   the   horse   Kantaka  and 
depart."     After  many  arguments  Channa  was  forced  to 
yield,  and  he  kissed  the  prince's  feet,  and  Kantaka  licked 
them  with  his  tongue,  and  those  two  departed. 
Presently  the  prince,  proceeding  on  his  way,  met  with  a 
hunter,  and  to  him  he  gave  his  royal  robes  in  exchange  for 
tattered  rags,  more  suited  for  a  hermit.     This  hunter  was 
another   deva   who  had   assumed   a  form   for  that  very 
purpose.     Yet  another  became  a  barber,  and  shaved  the 
prince's  head.     The  prince  proceeded  to  the  hermitage  of 
a  community  of  Brahmans,  who  welcomed  him  reverently, 
and  he  became  the  pupil  of  one  of  the  most  learned.     But 
he  perceived  that  though  their  systems    might  lead   to 
Heaven,  yet  they  provided  no  means  of  final  deliverance 
from  rebirth  on  earth  or  even  in  Hell. 
"Unhappy  world,"  he  said,   "hating  the  demon  Death, 
and  yet  seeking  hereafter  to  be  born  in  Heaven  !     What 
ignorance  1  What  delusion !  " 

The  Wanderings  of  Siddhartha 
So  he  left  the  hermitage,  to  the  great  grief  and  dis- 
appointment of  the  yogis  who  lived  there,  and  set  out  for 
the  home  of  a  famous  sage  named  Alara.  His  system 
also  proved  incomplete,  and  the  prince  departed,  saying : 
"  I  seek  a  system  where  there  shall  be  no  questioning  of 
existence   or  non-existence,  eternity  or  non-eternity,  and 

26^ 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

the  idea  of  the  boundless  and  illimitable  shall  be  realized, 
but  not  talked  of."  From  Alara's  hermitage  he  proceeded 
to  Rajagriha,  and  was  welcomed  there  by  King  Bimbisara. 
This  king  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  prince  to  abandon 
his  wandering  life ;  but  he  would  not  hear  of  it,  and  pro- 
ceeded farther  to  a  village  near  Gaya  and  took  up  his 
abode  in  a  neighbouring  wood,  eating  daily  a  modicum  of 
millet  seed,  just  sufficient  to  maintain  life.  Then  his  skin 
became  wrinkled,  his  flesh  fell  away,  and  his  eyes  grew 
hollow,  and  all  those  who  beheld  him  felt  a  strange  feeling 
of  fear  and  reverence  because  of  these  austerities. 
During  all  these  years  his  father,  Suddhodana,  sent 
messengers  from  time  to  time  praying  his  son  to  return, 
and  setting  before  him  every  argument  and  inducement ; 
they  came  also  to  Gaya,  when  the  prince  was  at  the  point 
of  death;  but  he  would  have  none  of  their  sayings,  and 
gave  them  this  order,  if  he  should  die  before  attaining 
Perfect  Enlightenment,  to  take  back  his  bones  to 
Kapilavastu and  say :  "These  are  the  relics  of  a  man  who 
died  in  the  fixed  prosecution  of  his  resolve." 
But  the  prince  found  that  these  austerities  benefited  nothing ; 
rather  he  experienced  less  of  the  illumination  of  wisdom  than 
heretofore.  He  resolved,  therefore,  to  nourish  his  body,  and 
accepted  food  and  attention.  The  story  is  told,  in  particular, 
of  one  Sujata,  a  daughter  of  a  village  lord,  who  was  fore- 
warned by  an  angel,  and  prepared  food  as  follows  :  she  col- 
lected a  thousand  cows,  and  with  their  milk  fed  five  hundred 
others,  and  with  theirs  two  hundred  and  fifty  others,  and 
so  on  down  to  fifteen  cows,  and  then,  mixing  their  milk 
with  rice,  she  prepared  a  dish  of  the  greatest  purity  and 
delicacy.  When  the  Bodhisattva  went  into  the  village  to 
beg  for  food  she  offered  him  this  rice-milk  on  a  golden 
dish,  and  it  seemed  to  him  a  good  omen.  He  took  the 
266 


The  Wanderings  of  Siddhartha 

food  and  went  out  of  the  village  and  bathed  in  a  river, 
and  would  have  crossed  to  the  other  side,  but  the  current 
carried  him  away,  and  had  it  not  been  that  a  deva 
dwelling  in  a  certain  great  tree  on  the  farther  bank 
stretched  out  his  jewelled  arm  to  draw  him  to  land,  he 
would  have  been  drowned.  He  reached  the  shore,  how- 
ever, and  sat  down  to  take  his  meal ;  after  which  he  cast 
the  golden  dish  into  the  river,  where  it  was  caught  by  a 
naga,  who  took  it  to  his  palace.  Sakra,  however,  in  the 
form  of  a  garuda,1  snatched  it  from  the  naga's  hand  and 
carried  it  to  the  Tusita  heavens. 

Meanwhile  the  Bodhisattva  proceeded  toward  the  Wisdom- 
tree,  beneath  which  the  previous  Buddhas  had  attained 
enlightenment.  As  he  walked  along  the  forest  path 
hundreds  of  kingfishers  approached  him  and,  circling 
thrice  about  him,  followed  ;  after  them  came  five  hundred 
peacocks  and  other  birds  and  beasts ;  so  that  he  walked 
on  surrounded  by  devas,  nagas,  asuras,  and  creatures  of 
every  kind  towards  the  Tree  of  Wisdom. 
A  naga  king  who  dwelt  near  the  path  and  was  very  old, 
having  seen  more  than  one  of  the  former  Buddhas  come 
by  that  way,  chanted  his  praise ;  and  his  wife,  with  count- 
less snake-girls,  welcomed  him  with  flags  and  flowers  and 
jewelled  ornaments,  and  kept  up  a  perpetual  song  of  praise. 
The  devas  of  the  Worlds  of  Form  hung  flags  and  banners 
on  the  Wisdom-tree  and  on  the  trees  that  led  to  it,  so 
that  the  Bodhisattva  might  find  the  way  easily.  As 
he  went  he  reflected  that  not  only  this  host  of  friendly 
beings,  but  also  Mara,  the  evil  one,  should  witness  his 
victory  ;  and  this  thought,  like  a  ray  of  glory  from  his  brow- 
spot,  penetrated  to  Mara's  abode,  and  brought  him  dreams 
and  portents.  A  messenger  came  also  in  haste  to  Mara 
1  A  mythical  bird,  hereditary  enemy  of  serpents  {nagas). 

267 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

warning  him  of  Bodhisattva's  approach  to  the  Wisdom-tree. 
Then  Mara  assembled  his  army.  A  horrible  sight  was 
that.  There  were  some  with  a  hundred  thousand  mouths, 
some  with  heads  or  hands  or  eyes  or  feet  misshapen, 
some  with  fiery  tongues,  some  devouring  serpents,  some 
drinking  blood,  others  pot-bellied  and  bandy-legged,  and  all 
with  spears  and  bows  and  clubs  and  weapons  and  armour  of 
every  sort.     All  these  marched  toward  the  Wisdom-tree. 

The  Wisdom-Tree 

The  Bodhisattva,  however,  approached  the  tree,  shining- 
like  a  mountain  of  pure  gold,  and  took  his  seat  on  its 
eastern  side,  vowing  never  to  rise  again  till  he  had  attained 
enlightenment.  Then  the  earth  quaked  six  times.  Then 
Mara  took  the  form  of  a  messenger  arriving  post-haste 
from  Kapilavastu  with  the  news  that  Devadatta,  Buddha's 
cousin,  had  usurped  the  government  and  was  practising 
every  sort  of  cruelty  and  tyranny,  and  praying  the  Bodhi- 
sattva to  return  and  restore  good  government  and  order. 
But  he  reflected  that  Devadatta  acted  so  from  lust  and 
malice,  and  the  Shakya  princes  permitted  it  only  from 
cowardice,  and  thus  reflecting  upon  human  weakness,  the 
Bodhisattva  was  all  the  more  determined  to  attain  to 
something  higher  and  better. 

Meanwhile  the  deva  of  the  Wisdom-tree  rejoiced,  and 
cast  her  jewels  before  his  feet,  and  prayed  him  to  per- 
severe. The  devas  of  other  trees  came  to  inquire  of  her 
who  was  the  glorious  being  seated  there;  and  when  she 
informed  them  that  it  was  the  Bodhisattva  they  cast  down 
flowers  and  perfumes  about  him,  and  exhorted  him  by 
words  and  songs  to  go  forward.  Then  Mara  ordered  his 
three  beautiful  daughters  to  tempt  the  Bodhisattva  in 
every  way,  and  they  went  to  sing  and  dance  before  him. 
268 


The  Defeat  of  Mara 

They  wooed  him  with  song  and  dance  and  every  artifice  of 
love;  but  he  remained  unchanged  in  face  or  mind,  like  a 
lily  resting  on  quiet  waters,  and  firm  as  Mount  Meru,  like 
the  iron  walls  that  gird  the  universe.  Then  they  argued 
with  him,  depicting  the  pleasures  and  duties  of  worldly 
life,  and  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  the  search  for 
wisdom ;  but  he  answered  : 

Pleasure  is  brief  as  the  lightning  flash — 

Why  should  I,  then,  covet  the  pleasures  you  describe? 

And  Mara's  daughters,  recognizing  their  failure,  left  him 
with  a  prayer  for  his  success  : 

That  which  your  heart  desires  may  you  attain  ! 
And  finding  for  yourself  delivemnce,  deliver  all. 

The  Defeat  of  Mara 

Then  Mara  himself  engaged  in  argument;  and  when  he 
also  was  unsuccessful,  he  led  on  his  demon  army  to  the 
attack.  All  the  devas  were  terrified  and  fled  away,  leav- 
ing the  Bodhisattva  alone.  Of  every  shape,  kind,  and  colour, 
uttering  every  unearthly  sound,  filling  the  air  with  darkness 
and  shaking  the  ground,  the  horrid  army  advanced  with 
threatening  gestures  toward  the  Bodhisattva  ;  but  the 
spears  stuck  to  their  hands,  their  limbs  were  paralysed,  and 
though  they  would  have  ground  him  to  dust  or  burnt 
him  with  fiery  tongues,  they  could  not  hurt  so  much  as  a 
hair;  he  sat  unmoved,  while  the  weapons  showered  upon 
him  fell  at  his  feet  as  flowers.  Mara  exhausted  every 
resource,  and  when  all  had  failed  he  took  up  his  terrible 
discus,  and  mounting  the  elephant  Cloud-mountain,  him- 
self approached  the  prince.  Now  this  weapon,  if  it  were 
thrown  against  Mount  Meru,  would  cut  it  in  twain  like  a 

269 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &P  Buddhists 

bamboo ;  if  it  were  thrown  into  the  sky,  it  would  prevent 
the  falling  of  rain  for  twelve  years ;  yet  it  refused  to  touch 
the  Bodhisattva,  but  floated  through  the  air  like  a  dry 
leaf  and  remained  above  his  head  like  a  garland  of 
flowers  in  the  air.  Then  Mara  was  enraged  like  a  fire 
into  which  oil  is  poured  again  and  again,  and  he  came 
close  to  the  prince  and  bade  him  "  Begone ! "  But  he 
answered :  "  This  throne  is  mine  by  virtue  of  the  merit  I 
have  acquired  in  many  long  ages.  How  canst  thou  possess 
it  who  have  no  merit?  "  Then  Mara  boasted  :  "  My  merit 
is  greater  than  thine,"  and  called  his  army  to  witness,  and 
all  his  warriors  called  out:  "We  witness,"  so  that  a  sound 
like  the  roar  of  the  sea  rose  to  the  very  sky.  But  Bodhi- 
sattva replied:  "Your  witnesses  are  many  and  partial; 
I  have  one  and  an  impartial  witness  " ;  and  he  stretched 
out  his  hand  from  his  robe  like  lightning  from  an  orange 
cloud  and  touched  the  earth  and  called  on  her  to  witness 
to  his  merit.  Then  the  Earth  Goddess  rose  at  his  feet 
and  cried  with  a  hundred  thousand  voices  like  the  sound 
of  a  cosmic  drum :  "  I  witness  " ;  and  Mara's  army  fled 
and  returned  to  Hell  like  leaves  that  are  scattered  by  the 
wind.  Cloud-mountain  curled  up  his  trunk  and  put  his 
tail  between  his  legs  and  fled  away.  Mara  himself  fell 
prostrate  and  made  acknowledgment  of  the  Bodhisattva's 
power,  and  rose  only  to  rush  away  and  hide  his  shame; 
for  his  mind  was  filled  with  sorrow  to  know  all  his  efforts 
had  failed,  and  the  prince  would  soon  obtain  enlighten- 
ment and  would  preach  the  truth  by  which  thousands  of 
creatures  should  reach  Nirvana. 

Perfectly  Enlightened 

The  sun  had  not  yet  set  when  Mara  was  defeated.   Buddha 

remained   seated   beneath    the  Wisdom-tree.     Gradually 

270 


Perfectly  Enlightened 

through  the  night  the  enlightenment  for  which  he  sought 
dawned  in  his  heart :  at  the  tenth  hour  he  perceived  the 
exact  conditions  of  all  beings  who  have  ever  been  in  the 
infinite  and  endless  worlds;  at  the  twentieth  hour  he 
gained  the  divine  insight  by  which  all  things  far  or  near 
appeared  as  if  close  at  hand.  Then  he  obtained  the  know- 
ledge that  unfolds  the  causes  of  the  repetition  of  existence; 
then  the  privileges  of  the  four  paths  and  their  fruition;  and 
at  dawn  of  day  he  became  a  Supreme  Buddha,  the  Perfectly 
Enlightened.  Then  rays  of  six  colours  spread  far  and  wide 
from  his  shining  body,  penetrating  to  the  uttermost  bounds 
of  space  and  announcing  the  attainment  of  Buddhahood. 
Not  even  a  hundred  thousand  tongues  could  proclaim  the 
wonders  that  therewith  were  manifested. 
Then  the  Buddha  himself  proclaimed  his  victory  in  a  song 
of  triumph  : 

Through  many  diverse  births  I  have  passed 
Seeking  in  vain  the  builder  of  the  house. 

Ah,  house-framer,  now  I  have  seen  thee  I 

Never  again  shalt  thou  biiild  me  a  house. 

I  have  broken  thy  rafters, 

I  have  destroyed  the  king-post. 

My  mind  is  detached  ; 

Desire  is  extinguished. 

Then  Buddha  remained  seven  days  in  meditation;  for 
seven  days  more  he  fixed  his  gaze  on  the  Wisdom-tree; 
again  he  walked  seven  days  rapt  in  thought  upon  a  golden 
ambulatory  prepared  by  the  devas ;  then  he  sat  for  seven 
days  in  a  golden  palace,  where  every  event  of  the  remainder 
of  his  life  became  known  to  him  and  the  whole  of  the 
dharma  became  clear  to  his  mind,  from  the  first  to  the 

271 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

last  word  of  his  teaching;  in  the  fifth  week  he  sat  under 
the  tree  Ajapala  and  experienced  detachment  (Nirvana) ; 
during  the  sixth  week  he  sat  by  the  Lake  Muchalinda, 
where  a  naga  of  the  same  name  sheltered  him  from 
storms  of  rain;  in  the  seventh  week  he  sat  in  a  grove 
of  Nyagrodha  trees. 

The  Merchants 

It  was  now  forty-nine  days  since  he  had  received  the  milk- 
rice  from  Sujata.  It  so  happened  that  two  merchants  were 
passing  through  the  forest  with  their  caravan.  For  many 
ages  and  in  many  lives  they  had  desired  the  opportunity 
to  make  some  offering  to  a  Buddha.  In  the  same  forest 
was  a  devi — in  fact,  a  dryad — who  had  once  been  their 
relative :  now,  to  fulfil  their  desire  she  caused  the  wheels 
of  their  carts  to  stick  fast  in  deep  mud.  The  merchants 
made  an  offering  of  lights  and  perfumes,  and  prayed  to  the 
god  whom  they  supposed  responsible  for  the  misfortune. 
The  devi  appeared  to  them,  commanded  them  to  make  an 
offering  of  food  to  the  Buddha,  and  released  the  wagons. 
The  merchants,  overjoyed,  made  their  way  to  him  with 
a  gift  of  honey.  Now  Buddha  had  no  alms-bowl,  for 
Brahma's  bowl,  given  when  Sujata  brought  the  rice-milk, 
had  vanished,  and  the  golden  dish  she  herself  had  given 
had  been  transported  to  Snake-land.  Now,  therefore,  the 
guardian  gods  of  the  four  quarters  appeared  with  emerald 
bowls,  and  when  Buddha  would  not  accept  these  they  offered 
in  turn  bowls  of  stone.  Then  as  each  desired  that  his 
own  bowl  might  be  accepted,  the  Buddha  received  the 
four  and  made  them  appear  like  one.  In  that  bowl  he 
received  the  honey,  and  in  return  he  taught  the  triple 
formula  to  the  merchants,  and  they  became  lay-disciples. 
They  also  received  from  him  a  lock  of  hair  as  a  relic. 
272 


The  Hermits  of  Benares 

In  the  eighth  week  the  Buddha  seated  himself  under  the 
Ajapala  tree,  and  there  reflected  that  the  doctrine  is  deep, 
while  men  are  neither  good  nor  wise.  It  appeared  to  him 
useless  to  proclaim  the  law  to  those  who  could  not  under- 
stand it.  But  Brahma,  perceiving  this  doubt,  cried  out : 
"  The  world  will  perish !  "  and  the  cry  was  echoed  by  the 
devas  of  the  wind  and  rain  and  by  all  other  brahmas  and 
devas  innumerable.  Then  Brahma  appeared  before  the 
Buddha  and  said :  "  My  lord,  the  Buddhahood  is  hard  to 
obtain ;  but  you  have  obtained  it  that  you  might  release 
the  beings  of  the  world  from  existence ;  therefore  proclaim 
the  law  that  this  may  come  to  pass.  O  wise  one,  let  the 
dharma be  taught!  "  Then  Buddha  agreed  that  it  should 
be  so,  and  looked  about  for  one  to  whom  he  should  first 
preach.  He  thought  first  of  two  of  his  old  disciples,  but 
he  perceived  that  they  were  now  dead.  He  therefore  set 
out  for  Benares,  intending  to  instruct  the  five  hermits  with 
whom  he  had  formerly  practised  austerities. 

The  Hermits  of  Benares 

When  the  five  hermits  saw  him  from  afar  they  said: 
"Siddhartha  has  recovered  his  strength  and  beauty;  he 
comes  to  us,  having  failed  to  accomplish  the  penance.  As 
he  is  of  royal  birth,  let  us  offer  him  a  seat,  but  we  will 
not  rise  or  go  to  meet  him."  Buddha  perceived  their 
thoughts  and  directed  his  loving-kindness  towards  them. 
Immediately,  just  as  a  withered  leaf  is  helplessly  swept 
away  in  a  torrent,  so  they  helplessly,  overcome  by  the 
force  of  his  love,  rose  and  went  to  do  him  honour.  They 
washed  his  feet  and  inquired  of  his  welfare,  and  he 
informed  them  that  he  was  now  become  a  Supreme 
Buddha.  Then  the  whole  universe  rejoiced,  knowing 
that  the  Law  would  be  preached  for  the  first  time.     The 

s  273 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

evening,  like  a  beautiful  lady,  came  to  worship  him  ;  Meru 
danced  for  joy  ;  the  seven  mountain  ranges  bowed  before 
him ;  and  the  beings  of  every  world  assembled  to  receive 
the  nectar  of  the  good  doctrine.  They  stood  in  circles, 
ever  more  and  more  crowded  by  fresh  arrivals,  till  at  last 
they  were  so  close  that  a  hundred  thousand  devas  occupied 
a  space  no  more  than  the  point  of  a  needle  ;  all  the  heavens 
of  the  devas  and  brahmas  were  emptied.  The  sound  was 
like  that  of  a  storm,  but  when  the  lords  of  the  various 
heavens  blew  their  conchs  there  was  utter  silence.  Then 
Buddha  opened  his  mouth. 

"There  are  two  things,"  he  said,  "that  must  be  avoided 
by  one  who  becomes  a  hermit,  viz.  wrong  desires  and 
mortification  of  the  body."  This  was  the  subject-matter 
of  the  first  discourse,  and  it  seemed  to  each  hearer  that  it 
was  spoken  in  his  own  tongue,  and  every  kind  of  animal 
heard  him  with  the  same  impression.  Myriads  of  devas 
entered  the  first  and  the  second  and  third  and  fourth  paths. 

The  Preaching  of  Buddha 

From  that  time  onward  Buddha  turned  the  Wheel  of  the 
Law — that  is  to  say,  he  preached  the  Good  Doctrine  to  all 
who  heard  him.  He  converted  the  worshippers  of  fire  by 
many  miracles ;  Bhlmasaha,  king  of  Rajagriha,  became  his 
disciple.  Buddha  also  visited  his  native  city.  This  was 
the  manner  of  the  visit.  King  Suddhodhana,  hearing  of 
the  Buddhaship  of  his  son,  sent  an  embassy  of  noblemen 
asking  him  to  visit  Kapilavastu ;  but  all  the  nobles,  hearing 
the  Buddha's  doctrine,  became  disciples  and  remained 
with  him.  The  same  thing  happened  with  many  others. 
At  last  the  king  sent  a  most  trusted  messenger,  the  noble 
Kaluda,  who  had  been  Buddha's  playfellow  from  infancy. 
He  also  became  a  disciple,  but  when  the  spring  season 
274 


The  Preaching  of  Buddha 

came,  and  the  roads  grew  green,  and  the  trees  blossomed, 
he  went  to  the  Buddha  and  began  to  speak  of  Kapilavastu. 
"  Your  father  looks  out  for  your  coming,"  he  said,  "  as 
the  water-lily  looks  for  the  rising  sun ;  and  the  queens 
expect  you,  as  the  night-lily  expects  the  moon."  Buddha 
perceived  that  the  time  had  come  when  it  would  be  proper 
for  him  to  visit  his  native  city.  The  king  prepared  a 
beautiful  garden  for  his  comfort.  At  last  he  arrived, 
surrounded  by  no  less  than  twenty  thousand  priests,  his 
disciples.  At  first  the  Shakya  princes  would  not  do  him 
homage ;  but  he  rose  into  the  air,  and  displayed  first  the 
issuing  of  streams  of  water  from  his  body,  extending  over 
the  whole  of  the  ten  thousand  worlds,  and  sprinkling  all 
who  desired  it;  then  the  issuing  of  fire,  which  extended 
throughout  the  whole  universe,  but  burnt  not  so  much  as 
a  cobweb.  Other  wonders  he  showed  ;  then  Suddhodhana 
worshipped  his  son,  saying  : 

"  My  lord,  my  Buddha,  my  Prince  Siddhartha,  though  I 
am  indeed  thy  father,  never  again  shall  I  call  thee  my 
child  ;  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  thy  slave.  Again  and  again 
I  worship  thee.  And  were  I  to  offer  thee  my  kingdom, 
thou  wouldst  but  account  it  as  ashes."  When  the  king 
bowed  low  the  princes  also  made  their  obeisance,  like  the 
bending  of  a  forest  of  bamboos  before  the  wind. 
The  next  day  the  Buddha  proceeded  on  foot  to  the  city  to 
ask  for  alms.  At  every  step  there  arose  a  lotus-flower 
beneath  his  feet,  and  vanished  as  he  passed  on ;  rays  of 
light  arose  from  his  head  and  mouth;  and  because  of 
these  wonders  all  citizens  came  forth  to  meet  him.  All 
were  astonished,  for  as  yet  this  manner  of  asking  alms  was 
unknown.  When  Yashodara  heard  of  it  she  came  to  the 
palace  door  and  worshipped  him,  and  said :  "  O  Sid- 
dhartha, that  night  Rahula  was  born  thou  didst  go  away  in 

275 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

silence  and  rejectedst  thy  kingdom;  now  hast  thou  a  more 
glorious  kingdom  instead."  The  king  remonstrated  with 
Buddha  for  seeking  his  food  in  such  a  manner ;  but  he 
replied :  "  It  is  the  custom  of  my  race,"  meaning  of  all 
the  former  Buddhas.  Then  he  addressed  the  king  and 
taught  him  the  Law,  so  that  he  entered  the  first  and 
second  paths,  becoming  the  Buddha's  disciple. 

The  Princess  is  comforted 

The  king  then  sent  to  inform  Yashodara  that  she  might 
also    come   to    worship   Siddhartha.     Buddha,    however, 
proceeded    to  her  palace  ;    as   he  went  he  informed  his 
disciples  Seriyut  and  Mugalana  that  the  princess  would 
obtain  Release.     "She  grieves  for  me,"  he  said,  "and  her 
heart  will  break  if  her  sorrow  be  suppressed.     She  will 
indeed  cling  to  my  feet,  but  do  not  hinder  her,  for  the  end 
will  be  that  she  and  her  companions  will  embrace  the  Law." 
When  Yashodara  heard  that  the  Buddha  was  coming  she 
cut  off  her  hair  and  went  in  humble  garments  to  meet  him, 
followed  by  five  hundred  of  her  ladies.     Because  of  her 
abounding  love,  she  was  like  an  overflowing  vessel  and 
might  not  contain    herself,  but,  forgetting  that  she  was 
only  a  woman,  she  fell  at  the  Buddha's  feet  and  clung  to 
him,  weeping.     But  recollecting  that  her  father-in-law  was 
present,  she  presently  rose  and  stood  a  little  apart.    Indeed, 
not  even  Brahma  may  touch  the  body  of  a  Buddha ;  but  he 
suffered   Yashodara  to  do  so.     The   king   spoke  of   her 
faithfulness.    "This  is  no  sudden  expression  of  her  love," 
he  said ;  "  for  all  these  seven  years  she  has  done  what  thou 
hast  done.     When  she  heard  that  thou  didst  shave  thy 
head,   or   put  on  mean  garments,   or  didst  eat  only  at 
appointed  times  and  from  an  earthen  bowl,  she  did  the 
same,  and  has  refused  every  offer  of  remarriage ;  therefore 
276 


XXI 

BUDDHA  AS  MENDICANT 

Abanindro  Nath  Tagore 

Page  276 


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Buddha  visits  the  Tavatimsa  Heaven 

pardon  her."  Then  Buddha  related  how,  in  a  former  life, 
Yashodara  had  formed  the  wish  to  become  the  wife  of  a 
Buddha,  and  thereafter  in  many  long  ages  had  been  his 
companion  and  helper.  By  this  means  the  princess  was 
comforted.  Not  long  afterward  Rahula  was  admitted  to 
the  order  of  monks.  Buddha,  however,  refused  to  admit 
Yashodara  to  the  order  of  priesthood.  Many  years 
afterward  he  instituted  the  order  of  Buddhist  nuns,  to 
which  Yashodara  was  admitted;  and  she,  who  had  been 
born  on  the  same  day  as  Buddha,  attained  to  Nirvana  two 
years  before  his  own  decease. 

Buddha  visits  the  Tavatimsa  Heaven 
Upon  another  occasion  Buddha  visited  the  devaloka  or 
heaven  known  as  the  Tavatimsa  and  remained  there  three 
months.  Indra  hastened  to  prepare  his  throne  for  the 
Buddha  to  sit  upon,  but  feared  it  would  be  too  large;  and, 
indeed,  it  measured  some  fifteen  leagues  in  height,  while 
the  height  of  Buddha  was  twelve  cubits.  No  sooner  did 
Buddha  approach,  however,  than  it  shrank  to  a  convenient 
height.  It  remained,  however,  of  the  original  length,  and 
Buddha  therefore  performed  the  miracle  of  extending  his 
robe  on  all  sides  for  a  distance  of  more  than  a  thousand 
miles,  so  that  the  throne  appeared  like  a  seat  expressly 
prepared  for  a  preacher.  The  devas,  led  by  Matru,  who 
had  lately  been  the  mother  of  Buddha,  requested  the 
Buddha  to  expound  the  abhidJiarma.  Many  myriads  of 
devas  and  brahmas  entered  the  paths. 
When  the  time  came  for  Buddha  to  return  to  earth,  Indra 
caused  three  ladders  to  extend  from  Heaven  to  earth,  two 
of  gold  and  one  of  silver.  On  one  of  the  golden  ladders, 
which  had  steps  alternately  of  gold,  silver,  coral,  ruby, 
emerald,  and  other  gems,  Buddha  descended,  preceded  by 

277 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Hf  Buddhists 

Indra  blowing  his  conch.  On  the  other  golden  ladder 
proceeded  the  devas  with  instruments  of  music;  and  on 
the  silver  ladder  the  brahmas,  carrying  umbrellas.  Thus 
Buddha  returned  to  his  own  hermitage. 

Buddha  prevents  a  JVar 

Upon  a  certain  occasion  Buddha  prevented  a  war  which 
was  on  the  point  of  breaking  out  between  the  Shakyas 
and   the   Kolis.     Between   the  cities  of  Kapilavastu  and 
Koli  ran  the  river  Rohini ;  across  this  river  a  dam  had 
been  built  which  enabled  the  people  of  both  countries  to 
irrigate  their  fields.    It  so  happened  that  there  was  a  great 
drought,  and  the  husbandmen  on  each  side  claimed  the 
sole  right  to  the  little  water  that  remained.     The  rival 
claimants  called  each  other  by  the  worst  possible  names ; 
and  the  matter,  coming  to  the  ears  of  the  princes  of  each 
country,  much  exaggerated  by  rumour,  led  to  the  outbreak 
of  war,  and  matters  had  gone  so  far  that  the  armies  of  the 
Shakyas  and  the  Kolis  were  encamped  over  against  each 
other  on  opposite  banks  of  the  diminished  river.     At  this 
crisis  Buddha  perceived  what  was  going  on,  and  proceeding 
through  the  air,  at  the  same  time  making  himself  visible, 
he  arrived  at  the  place  of  battle.    The  Shakyas  threw  down 
their  weapons  out  of  respect  for  him  whom  they  regarded 
as  the  jewel  of  their  race,  and  the  Kolis  followed  their 
example.     Buddha  inquired  if  they  were  assembled  for  a 
water-festival,  and  being  informed  that  it  was  for  battle, 
asked   the  cause.     The  princes  said  that  they  were  not 
quite  sure,  but  would  inquire  of  the  generals ;  they  in  turn 
asked  their  under-officers,  and  so  on  downward  until  it 
came  to  the  original   husbandmen.     When  Buddha  was 
informed  of  the  cause  he  asked  the  value  of  water,  and 
being  told  that  it  was  very  little,  he  asked  what  was  the 
278 


The  Admission  of  Women 

value  of  men,  and  was  told  that  it  was  very  great.  "  Why 
then,"  he  asked,  "  do  you  propose  to  throw  away  that 
which  is  of  great  value  for  the  sake  of  that  of  little  value  ?  " 
This  convincing  argument  sufficed  to  end  the  matter. 
At  the  same  time  it  was  resolved  that  two  hundred  and 
fifty  princes  of  each  party  should  become  disciples  of 
Buddha.  They  did  so  unwillingly  and  not  of  their  own 
choice.  Their  wives  also  no  sooner  heard  of  it  than  they 
complained  bitterly.  Buddha,  however,  was  able  to  prevail 
upon  the  princes  to  think  better  of  it,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  they  entered  the  paths  to  Release  and  became 
Arhats.  They  remained  quite  indifferent  when  their 
wives  again  sent  messages  imploring  them  to  return 
home. 

The  Admission  of  Women 

This  matter  led  to  the  first  admission  of  women  to  the 
order  of  priesthood — the  wives  of  the  five  hundred 
princes,  together  with  the  queen-mother  PrajapatI,  co-wife 
with  MayadevI  and  now  widow  of  Suddhodhana,  who  had 
lately  died.  She  requested  that  they  might  be  admitted 
to  the  order  of  priesthood.  Buddha  refused  her  request 
three  times,  after  which  she  did  not  like  to  ask  again. 
After  returning  home,  however,  the  ladies  determined  to 
act  more  vigorously;  they  cut  off  their  hair,  assumed 
mean  garments,  and  set  out  on  foot  for  the  place  where 
Buddha  was  residing.  They,  who  had  been  accustomed 
to  walk  on  smooth  marble  and  to  be  protected  from  the 
heat  of  the  sun  and  the  violence  of  the  wind,  were  soon 
exhausted,  and  only  reached  the  hermitage  in  a  quite  help- 
less and  fainting  condition.  Again  PrajapatI  asked  to  be 
admitted.  Ananda  now  pleaded  for  them  on  account  of 
the  hardships  they  had  endured.     Buddha  still  refused. 

279 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Then  Ananda  inquired  whether  a  woman,  if  admitted, 
could  enter  the  paths  and  attain  Release.  Buddha  could 
only  reply  by  asking  if  Buddhas  were  born  in  the  world 
solely  for  the  benefit  of  men.  "The  way  is  open  for 
women  as  for  men,"  he  said.  Again  Ananda  reminded 
him  that  on  a  former  occasion  he  had  announced  that  at  a 
later  time  women  would  be  admitted.  Buddha  then  saw 
that  the  time  had  come  to  establish  the  order  of  nuns. 
His  reluctance  had  been  caused  from  his  knowledge  that 
the  doing  so  would  lead  to  doubts  and  scandal  spoken  of 
his  order  by  those  who  were  not  yet  his  followers. 

Devadatta  plots  Evil 

The  ministry  of  Buddha  was  not  entirely  unopposed.  Not 
only  were  Brahman  philosophers  often  his  keen  opponents 
in  controversy,  but  his  cousin  Devadatta,  who  through 
countless  past  births  had  been  his  bitter  enemy,  even 
attempted  to  murder  him.  Though  Devadatta  by  medita- 
tion and  asceticism  had  attained  great  powers,  yet  owing 
to  his  evil  nature,  these  powers,  so  far  from  helping  him 
toward  Release,  involved  him  in  utter  ruin.  He  established 
himself  at  the  court  of  the  king  of  Sewet,  with  five 
hundred  monks  of  his  own,  and,  supported  by  Prince 
Ajasat,  obtained  much  influence.  By  Devadatta's  advice 
Ajasat  first  attempted  to  murder  his  father  by  violence, 
and  afterward  starved  him  to  death,  in  order  to  obtain 
the  kingdom  for  himself.  Not  long  after  the  accession  of 
Ajasat  Devadatta  asked  for  a  band  of  five  hundred  archers 
to  kill  Buddha.  He  chose  thirty-one  of  these,  and  ordered 
the  first  to  slay  Buddha,  the  next  two  to  slay  the  first,  the 
next  four  to  slay  the  two,  and  the  last  sixteen  he  intended 
to  slay  himself,  in  order  that  the  matter  might  be  kept 
secret.  Buddha,  however,  though  well  aware  of  their 
280 


Devadatta  plots  Evil 

intentions,  received  the  first  and  all  the  other  archers  in 
turn  very  kindly,  and  preached  to  them,  so  that  they 
entered  on  the  path  to  Release  and  became  priests.  On 
another  occasion  Devadatta  himself  projected  a  great  rock 
at  Buddha  as  he  was  walking  below  a  high  cliff,  but  it 
broke  into  two  pieces  and  merely  inflicted  an  insignificant 
wound  on  Buddha's  foot. 

Devadatta  next  laid  a  deeper  plot.  There  was  a  fierce 
elephant  named  Malagiri,  accustomed  to  drink  every  day 
eight  measures  of  beer.  Devadatta  commanded  that  on 
a  certain  day  he  should  receive  sixteen  measures ;  a  royal 
proclamation  was  also  issued  to  the  intent  that  no  persons 
should  remain  in  the  streets ;  it  was  hoped  thus  that  the 
elephant  would  destroy  the  Buddha  as  he  went  out  in 
search  of  alms.  News  of  this  reached  him  in  good  time, 
but  he  would  not  change  his  custom ;  and  next  day  all  the 
balconies  were  lined  with  friends  and  enemies  of  Buddha, 
the  former  eager  to  behold  his  victory,  the  latter  expect- 
ing his  death.  When  Buddha  approached,  the  elephant 
was  loosed,  and  soon  began  to  destroy  the  houses  and  show 
its  evil  temper  in  other  ways.  The  friars  entreated  Buddha 
to  escape,  as  the  elephant  was  evidently  unacquainted  with 
his  merit.  Then  many  of  the  friars  asked  to  be  allowed 
to  stand  before  Buddha  to  protect  him ;  but  he  replied 
that  his  own  power  was  one  thing,  that  of  the  disciples 
another.  When  at  last  Ananda  took  it  upon  himself  to  go 
in  front,  Buddha  by  will-power  compelled  him  to  remain 
behind.  Presently  a  little  child  ran  out  of  a  house,  and 
the  elephant  was  about  to  kill  her;  but  Buddha  called 
out :  "  You  were  not  intended  to  attack  anyone  but  me ; 
do  not  waste  your  strength  on  anyone  else."  But  when 
the  elephant  beheld  Buddha  all  its  fury  abated,  and  it 
approached  him  in  the  gentlest  way  and  kneeled  to  him. 

281 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

Buddha  charged  the  creature  never  to  hurt  anyone  again, 
but  to  be  kind  to  all ;  and  the  elephant  repeated  the  five 
commandments  aloud  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people; 
indeed,  had  he  not  been  a  four-legged  creature  he  might 
have  entered  the  path  to  Release.  When  the  people  saw 
this  wonder  the  noise  of  clapping  and  shouting  was  like 
the  sea  or  the  thunder.  They  covered  the  elephant  with 
jewels,  and  eighty-four  thousand  people  entered  the  path. 
Not  long  after  this  Ajasat  was  converted  and  became 
a  supporter  of  Buddha's  party.  When  Ajasat  departed 
from  the  monastery  after  this  event  Buddha  remarked : 
"  Had  not  the  king  murdered  his  father  he  might  to-day 
have  entered  the  first  path.  As  it  is,  he  will  be  saved  from 
the  lowest  hell,  where  otherwise  he  must  have  remained  a 
whole  age.  He  will  spend  sixty  thousand  years  in  the 
other  hells ;  then  after  long  ages  spent  with  the  gods  he  will 
be  born  on  earth  and  become  a  private  Buddha." 
Devadatta  was  now  in  disgrace,  but  hated  Buddha  all  the 
more.  However,  he  collected  another  band  of  disciples, 
five  hundred  in  number.  But  Buddha  sent  two  of  his 
wisest  followers  to  preach  to  those  of  Devadatta  ;  and 
while  he  slept  they  all  departed  to  follow  Buddha.  Deva- 
datta then  fell  ill,  and  remained  so  for  nine  months ;  after 
which  he  determined  to  go  and  seek  Buddha's  forgiveness. 
Buddha  felt  no  ill-will  toward  Devadatta  ;  but  he  informed 
the  friars  :  "  Devadatta  will  not  see  the  Buddha ;  so  great 
are  his  crimes  that  not  even  a  thousand  Buddhas  could  save 
him."  Devadatta,  borne  in  his  palanquin,  came  nearer 
and  nearer  to  Buddha's  monastery ;  but  when  he  set  foot 
to  the  ground  at  the  entrance  flames  rose  up  from  the 
lowest  hell  and  wrapped  his  body  in  their  folds,  first  his 
feet,  then  his  middle,  then  his  shoulders.  He  cried  out  to 
Buddha  for  help  and  repeated  a  verse  of  a  hymn,  by  which 
282 


Buddha's  Final  Release 

he  accepted  the  three  gems,  the  Buddha,  the  Law,  and  the 
Church  ;  and  this  will  help  him  eventually,  though  he  none 
the  less  went  to  Hell  and  received  a  body  of  fire  sixteen 
hundred  miles  in  height. 

Buddha  s  Final  Release 

This  was  the  manner  of  Buddha's  death,  called  Parinirva?ia, 
or  Final  Release.  In  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his  ministry 
the  Buddha  suffered  from  a  severe  illness,  and  declared 
that  he  would  not  live  long.  While  residing  in  the  city 
of  Pawa  he  was  entertained  by  a  good  smith  named  Chunda. 
He  prepared  an  offering  of  pork,  which  was  the  cause  of 
a  sickness  resulting  in  death.  Buddha  became  very  faint, 
and  though  he  set  out  for  Kushinagara,  had  to  rest  many 
times  on  the  way.  All  this  was  endured  that  others  might 
be  reminded  that  none  are  exempt  from  old  age,  decay,  and 
death.  At  last  the  Buddha  reached  the  city,  and  there  he 
addressed  Ananda  as  follows  :  "  Inform  the  smith  Chunda 
that  his  offering  will  bring  a  great  reward,  for  it  will  be  the 
immediate  cause  of  my  attaining  Nirvana.  There  are, 
indeed,  two  offerings  which  will  bring  great  reward :  one 
was  given  by  the  lady  Sujata  before  I  reached  the 
supreme  wisdom,  the  other  has  just  now  been  made  by 
Chunda.  These  are  the  two  foremost  gifts."  The  Buddha 
spoke  thus  lest  Chunda  should  feel  remorse,  or  should  be 
blamed  by  others  ;  but  he  had  given  strict  orders  that  the 
remainder  of  the  offering  was  to  be  buried.  Buddha  lay 
down  on  a  couch  in  a  grove  of  sal-trees  near  Kushinagara. 
He  sent  a  message  informing  the  Malwa  princes  of  his 
arrival,  knowing  that  their  regret,  if  he  died  without  their 
once  more  beholding  him,  would  be  very  great.  Thus  it 
was  that  a  great  company  of  kings  and  princes,  nobles  and 
ladies  of  the  court,  beside  innumerable  priests,  and  the 

283 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  @*  Buddhists 

devas  and  brahmas  of  the  ten  thousand  worlds,  assembled 
about  the  Buddha's  death-bed.  All  these  wept  and  wrung 
their  hands,  and  bowed  themselves  to  the  ground  in  their 
grief.  This  occasion  has  been  made  the  subject  of  countless 
pictures,  similar  in  sentiment  to  the  Christian  Pietas. 
Buddha  inquired  if  the  priests  had  any  last  questions  to 
put  to  him ;  but  as  they  had  no  doubts  on  any  point  they 
remained  silent.  A  Brahman  of  Kushinagara,  however, 
arrived, and  desired  to  argue  certain  matters;  Buddha  would 
not  have  him  denied,  and  in  the  end  he  became  a  disciple. 
None  of  his  disciples  was  more  stricken  with  grief  than 
Ananda.  Buddha  had  given  him  instructions  about  his 
burial  and  about  the  rules  to  be  observed  by  the  monks 
and  nuns.  Then  he  said :  "  Now  I  depart  to  Nirvana ; 
I  leave  with  you  my  ordinances ;  the  elements  of  the  all- 
knowing  one  will  indeed  pass  away,  but  the  three  gems 
will  remain."  But  Ananda  broke  down  and  wept  bitterly. 
Then  Buddha  continued  :  "  O  Ananda,  do  not  let  yourself 
be  troubled  ;  do  not  weep.  Have  I  not  taught  you  that  we 
must  part  from  all  that  we  hold  most  dear  and  pleasant? 
No  being  soever  born  or  created  can  overcome  the  ten- 
dency to  dissolution  inherent  in  itself;  a  condition  of 
permanence  is  impossible.  For  a  long  time,  Ananda,  your 
kindness  in  act  and  thought  and  speech  has  brought  you 
very  near  to  me.  You  have  always  done  well ;  persevere, 
and  you,  too,  shall  win  to  perfect  freedom  from  this  thirst 
of  life,  this  chain  of  ignorance."  Then  he  turned  to  the 
other  mourners  and  commended  Ananda  to  them.  He  said 
also  that  the  least  of  those  present  who  had  entered  the 
path  to  Release  should  never  entirely  fail,  but  should  at  last 
prevail  and  reach  Nirvana.  After  a  pause  he  said  again : 
"  Mendicants,  I  now  impress  it  upon  you  that  the  parts  and 
powers  of  man  must  be  dissolved  ;  work  out  your  salvation 
284 


XXII 

THE  FINAL  RELEASE 

Abanindro.  Nath  Tagork 

Page  284 


Buddha's  Final  Release 

with  diligence."  Shortly  afterward  the  Buddha  became 
unconscious  and  passed  away. 

The  Malwa  princes,  after  they  had  a  little  recovered  from 
their  sorrow,  wrapped  the  body  in  fold  upon  fold  of  finest 
cloth,  and  for  six  days  the  body  lay  in  state.  Then  it  was 
burnt  on  a  magnificent  pyre  in  the  coronation  hall  of  the 
princes.  They  were  unable  to  set  fire  to  the  pyre,  but  in 
the  end  it  ignited  spontaneously.  The  body  was  entirely 
consumed,  leaving  only  the  relics  like  a  heap  of  pearls. 
The  chief  of  these,  afterward  enshrined  in  glorious  monu- 
ments, were  the  four  teeth,  two  cheek-bones,  and  the 
skull. 


285 


CHAPTER  VI  :   SHIVA 

The  Supremacy  of  Shiva 

THIS  story  is  related  by  Brahma  in  answer  to  an 
inquiry  of  the  gods  and  rishis : 
"  In  the  night  of  Brahma,  when  all  beings  and  all 
worlds  are  resolved  together  in  one  equal  and  inseparable 
stillness,  I  beheld  the  great  Narayana,  soul  of  the  universe, 
thousand-eyed,  omniscient,  Being  and  non-Being  alike, 
reclining  on  the  formless  waters,  supported  by  the  thou- 
sand-headed serpent  Infinite;  and  I,  deluded  by  his 
o-lamour,  touched  the  eternal  being  with  my  hand  and 
asked :  '  Who  art  thou  ?  Speak.'  Then  he  of  the  lotus- 
eyes  looked  upon  me  with  drowsy  glance,  then  rose  and 
smiled,  and  said  :  'Welcome,  my  child,  thou  shining  grand- 
sire.'  But  I  took  offence  thereat  and  said :  '  Dost  thou, 
O  sinless  god,  like  a  teacher  to  a  pupil,  call  me  child, 
who  am  the  cause  of  creation  and  destruction,  framer  of 
the  myriad  worlds,  the  source  and  soul  of  all?  Tell 
me  why  dost  thou  thus  speak  foolish  words  to  me?' 
Then  Vishnu  answered:  'Knowest  thou  not  that  I  am 
Narayana,  creator,  preserver,  and  destroyer  of  the  worlds, 
the  eternal  male,  the  undying  source  and  centre  of  the 
universe  ?    For  thou  wert  born  from  my  own  imperishable 

body.' 

"  Now  ensued  an  angry  argument  between  us  twain  upon 
that  formless  sea.  Then  for  the  ending  of  our  contention 
there  appeared  before  us  a  glorious  shining  lingam,  a  fiery 
pillar,  like  a  hundred  universe-consuming  fires,  without 
beginning,  middle,  or  end,  incomparable,  indescribable. 
The  divine  Vishnu,  bewildered  by  its  thousand  flames,  said 
unto  me,  who  was  as  much  astonished  as  himself:  'Let  us 
forthwith  seek  to  know  this  fire's  source.  I  will  descend ; 
286 


Sati 

do  thou  ascend  with  all  thy  power.'  Then  he  became  a 
boar,  like  a  mountain  of  blue  collyrium,  a  thousand  leagues 
in  width,  with  white  sharp-pointed  tusks,  long-snouted, 
loud-grunting,  short  of  foot,  victorious,  strong,  incom- 
parable— and  plunged  below.  For  a  thousand  years  he 
sped  thus  downward,  but  found  no  base  at  all  of  the  lingam. 
Meanwhile  I  became  a  swan,  white  and  fiery-eyed,  with 
wings  on  every  side,  swift  as  thought  and  as  the  wind ; 
and  I  went  upward  for  a  thousand  years,  seeking  to  find 
the  pillar's  end,  but  found  it  not.  Then  I  returned  and 
met  the  great  Vishnu,  weary  and  astonished,  on  his  upward 
way. 

"  Then  Shiva  stood  before  us,  and  we  whom  his  magic  had 
guiled  bowed  unto  him,  while  there  arose  about  on  every 
hand  the  articulate  sound  of  '  Om,'  clear  and  lasting.  To 
him  Narayana  said:  'Happy  has  been  our  strife,  thou 
God  of  gods,  forasmuch  as  thou  hast  appeared  to  end  it.' 
Then  Shiva  answered  to  Vishnu :  '  Thou  art  indeed  the 
creator,  preserver,  and  destroyer  of  the  worlds ;  do  thou, 
my  child,  maintain  this  world  both  moving  and  inert.  For 
I,  the  undivided  Overlord,  am  three,  am  Brahma,  Vishnu, 
and  Rudra,  who  create,  maintain,  destroy.  Cherish  this 
Brahma,  for  he  shall  be  born  of  thee  in  an  ensuing  age. 
Then  shall  ye  twain  behold  myself  again.'  Therewith  the 
Great  God  vanished.  Thereafter  has  the  worship  of  the 
lingam  been  established  in  the  three  worlds." 

Sati 

Very  long  ago  there  was  a  chief  of  the  gods  named  Daksha. 
He  married  Prasuti,  daughter  of  Manu  ;  she  bore  him 
sixteen  daughters,  of  whom  the  youngest,  Sati,  became 
the  wife  of  Shiva.  This  was  a  match  unpleasing  to  her 
father,  for  he  had   a  grudge  against  Shiva,  not  only  for 

287 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  fif  Buddhists 

his  disreputable  habits,  but  because  Shiva,  upon  the 
occasion  of  a  festival  to  which  he  had  been  invited,  did  not 
offer  homage  to  Daksha.  For  this  reason  Daksha  had 
pronounced  a  curse  upon  Shiva,  that  he  should  receive  no 
portion  of  the  offerings  made  to  the  gods.  A  Brahman 
of  Shiva's  party,  however,  pronounced  the  contrary  curse, 
that  Daksha  should  waste  his  life  in  material  pleasures  and 
ceremonial  observances  and  should  have  a  face  like  a 
goat. 

Meanwhile  SatI  grew  up  and  set  her  heart  on  Shiva, 
worshipping  him  in  secret.  She  became  of  marriageable 
age,  and  her  father  held  a  swayamvara,  or  own-choice,  for 
her,  to  which  he  invited  gods  and  princes  from  far  and 
near,  except  only  Shiva.  Then  SatI  was  borne  into  the 
great  assembly,  wreath  in  hand.  But  Shiva  was  nowhere 
to  be  seen,  amongst  gods  or  men.  Then  in  despair  she 
cast  her  wreath  into  the  air,  calling  upon  Shiva  to  receive 
the  garland  ;  and  behold  he  stood  in  the  midst  of  the 
court  with  the  wreath  about  his  neck.  Daksha  had  then 
no  choice  but  to  complete  the  marriage ;  and  Shiva  went 
away  with  SatI  to  his  home  in  Kailas. 
This  Kailas  was  far  away  beyond  the  white  Himalayas, 
and  there  Shiva  dwelt  in  royal  state,  worshipped  by  gods 
and  rishis ;  but  more  often  he  spent  his  time  wandering 
about  the  hill  like  a  beggar,  his  body  smeared  with  ashes, 
and  with  SatI  wearing  ragged  robes  ;  sometimes  also  he 
was  seen  in  the  cremation  grounds,  surrounded  by  dancing 
imps  and  taking  part  in  horrid  rites. 

One  day  Daksha  made  arrangements  for  a  great  horse 
sacrifice,  and  invited  all  the  gods  to  come  and  share  in  the 
offerings,  omitting  only  Shiva.  The  chief  offerings  were 
to  be  made  to  Vishnu.  Presently  SatI  observed  the 
departure  of  the  gods,  as  they  set  out  to  visit  Daksha, 
288 


SatI 

and  turning  to  her  lord,  she  asked :  "  Whither,  O  lord, 
are  bound  the  gods,  with  Indra  at  their  head  ?  for  I  wonder 
what  is  toward."  Then  Mahadeva  answered :  "  Shining 
lady,  the  good  patriarch  Daksha  has  prepared  a  horse 
sacrifice,  and  thither  the  gods  repair."  She  asked  him  : 
"Why  dost  thou  not  also  go  to  this  great  ceremony?" 
He  answered :  "  It  has  been  contrived  amongst  the  gods 
that  I  should  have  no  part  in  any  such  offerings  as  are 
made  at  sacrifices."  Then  Devi  was  angry  and  she 
exclaimed :  "  How  can  it  be  that  he  who  dwells  in  every 
being,  he  who  is  unapproachable  in  power  and  glory, 
should  be  excluded  from  oblations  ?  What  penance,  what 
gift  shall  I  make  that  my  lord,  who  transcends  all  thought, 
should  receive  a  share,  a  third  or  a  half,  of  the  oblation?  " 
Then  Shiva  smiled  at  Devi,  pleased  with  her  affection ;  but 
he  said  :  "These  offerings  are  of  little  moment  to  me,  for 
they  sacrifice  to  me  who  chant  the  hymns  of  the  Samaveda  ; 
my  priests  are  those  who  offer  the  oblation  of  true 
wisdom,  where  no  officiating  Brahman  is  needed  ;  that  is 
my  portion."  Devi  answered  :  "  It  is  not  difficult  to  make 
excuses  before  women.  Howbeit,  thou  shouldst  permit  me 
at  least  to  go  to  my  father's  house  on  this  occasion." 
"  Without  invitation ? "  he  asked.  "A  daughter  needs  no 
invitation  to  her  father's  house,"  she  replied.  "So  be  it," 
answered  Mahadeva,  "  but  know  that  ill  will  come  of  it ; 
for  Daksha  will  insult  me  in  your  presence." 
So  Devi  went  to  her  father's  house,  and  there  she  was 
indeed  received,  but  without  honour,  for  she  rode  on  Shiva's 
bull  and  wore  a  beggar's  dress.  She  protested  against  her 
father's  neglect  of  Shiva ;  but  Daksha  broke  into  angry 
curses  and  derided  the  "  king  of  goblins,"  the  "beggar," 
the  "ash-man,"  the  long-haired  yogi.  SatI  answered  her 
father  :  "Shiva  is  the  friend  of  all ;  no  one  but  you  speaks 

t  289 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  §f  Buddhists 

ill  of  him.  All  that  thou  sayest  the  devas  know,  and  yet 
adore  him.  But  a  wife,  when  her  lord  is  reviled,  if  she 
cannot  slay  the  evil  speakers,  must  leave  the  place,  closing 
her  ears  with  her  hands,  or,  if  she  have  power,  should  sur- 
render her  life.  This  I  shall  do,  for  I  am  ashamed  to  own  this 
body  to  such  as  thee."  Then  Sat!  released  the  inward 
consuming  fire  and  fell  dead  at  Daksha's  feet. 

The  Anger  of  Shiva 

Narada  bore  the  news  to  Shiva.  He  burned  with  anger* 
and  tore  from  his  head  a  lock  of  hair,  glowing  with 
energy,  and  cast  it  upon  the  earth.  The  terrible  demon 
Vlrabhadra  sprang  from  it ;  his  tall  body  reached  the  high 
heavens,  he  was  dark  as  the  clouds,  he  had  a  thousand 
arms,  three  burning  eyes,  and  fiery  hair ;  he  wore  a  garland 
of  skulls  and  carried  terrible  weapons.  This  demon  bowed 
at  Shiva's  feet  and  asked  his  will.  He  answered:  "Lead 
my  army  against  Daksha  and  destroy  his  sacrifice ;  fear 
not  the  Brahmans,  for  thou  art  a  portion  of  my  very  self." 
Then  this  dread  sending  appeared  with  Shiva's  ganas 
in  the  midst  of  Daksha's  assembly  like  a  storm  of  wind. 
They  broke  the  sacrificial  vessels,  polluted  the  offerings, 
and  insulted  the  priests;  finally  Vlrabhadra  cut  off 
Daksha's  head,  trampled  on  Indra,  broke  the  staff  of 
Yama,  and  scattered  the  gods  on  every  side ;  then  he 
returned  to  Kailas.  There  Shiva  sat  unmoved,  plunged 
in  the  deepest  thought,  forgetful  of  what  had  passed. 
The  defeated  gods  sought  Brahma  and  asked  his  counsel. 
He,  with  Vishnu,  had  abstained  from  attending  the  festival, 
for  they  had  foreseen  what  would  befall.  Now  Brahma 
advised  the  gods  to  make  their  peace  with  Shiva,  who 
could  destroy  the  universe  at  his  will.  Brahma  himself 
went  with  them  to  Kailas.  They  found  Shiva  plunged  in 
290 


Note  on  Daksha  &  Shiva 

deep  meditation  in  the  garden  of  the  kinnaras  called 
Fragrant,  under  a  great  pipal-tree  a  hundred  leagues  in 
height,  its  branches  spreading  forty  leagues  on  either  side. 
Brahma  prayed  him  to  pardon  Daksha  and  to  mend  the 
broken  limbs  of  gods  and  rishis,  "for,"  he  said,  "the 
offerings  are  thine ;  receive  them  and  permit  the  sacrifice 
to  be  completed."  Then  Shiva  answered  :  "  Daksha  is  but 
a  child ;  I  do  not  think  of  him  as  one  who  has  committed 
sin.  His  head,  however,  has  been  burnt;  I  shall  bestow 
on  him  a  goat's  head,  and  the  broken  limbs  shall  be  made 
whole."  Then  the  devas  thanked  Shiva  for  his  gentle- 
ness, and  invited  him  to  the  sacrifice.  There  Daksha 
looked  on  him  with  reverence,  the  rite  was  duly  performed, 
and  there  also  Vishnu  appeared  riding  upon  Garuda.  He 
spoke  to  Daksha,  saying :  "  Only  the  unlearned  deem  my- 
self and  Shiva  to  be  distinct ;  he,  I,  and  Brahma  are  one, 
assuming  different  names  for  the  creation,  preservation, 
and  destruction  of  the  universe.  We,  as  the  triune  Self, 
pervade  all  creatures ;  the  wise  therefore  regard  all  others 
as  themselves." 

Then  all  the  gods  and  rishis  saluted  Shiva  and  Vishnu 
and  Brahma,  and  departed  to  their  places ;  but  Shiva 
returned  to  Kailas  and  fell  once  more  into  his  dream. 

Note  on  Daksha  a  fid  Shiva 

It  happens  constantly  in  the  history  of  Indian  literature 
that  a  new  wave  of  theology  becomes  the  occasion  for  a 
recapitulation  of  an  older  theory  of  the  origin  of  the 
universe.  This  fact  is  the  good  fortune  of  later  students, 
for  without  it  we  should  have  had  no  clue  whatever  in  a 
majority  of  cases  to  the  ancient  conceptions.  Of  such  an 
order,  we  may  take  it,  is  the  story  of  Daksha.  It  was 
held  by  the  promulgators  of  Aryan  and  Sanskritic  views 

291 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

that  Brahma  had,  vaguely  speaking,  been  the  creator  of 
the  worlds.  But  amongst  those  to  whom  he  was  sacred 
there  grew  up,  we  must  remember,  the  philosophy  of  the 
inherent  evil  and  duality  of  material  existence.  And  with 
the  perfecting  of  this  theory  the  name  of  a  new  god,  Shiva 
or  Mahadeva,  embodying  spiritual  enlightenment,  became 
popular.  Now  what  part  could  have  been  played,  in  the 
evolution  of  the  cosmos,  by  these  different  divinities? 
This  was  a  world  in  which  good  brought  forth  evil,  and  evil 
brought  forth  good,  and  good  without  evil  was  a  mere 
contradiction  in  terms.  How,  then,  could  the  Great  God 
be  made  responsible  for  anything  so  disastrous?  Plainly, 
he  could  not.  So  the  myth  was  elaborated  that  Brahma 
had  at  first  created  four  beautiful  youths  to  be  the  pro- 
genitors of  mankind,  and  they  had  sat  down  to  worship  on 
the  banks  of  Lake  Manasarovara.  Suddenly  there  came 
to  them  Shiva  in  the  form  of  a  great  swan — the  prototype 
of  the  Paramahamsa,  or  supreme  swan,  the  title  of  the 
emancipated  soul — who  swam  hither  and  thither,  warning 
them  that  the  world  about  them  was  an  illusion  and  a 
bondage,  and  that  their  one  way  of  escape  lay  in  refusing 
to  become  fathers.  The  young  men  heard  and  understood, 
and,  plunging  into  meditation,  they  remained  on  the  shores 
of  the  divine  lake,  useless  for  any  of  the  purposes  of  the 
world.  Then  Brahma  created  the  eight  lords  of  creation, 
the  Prajapatis,  and  they  it  was  who  made  up  the  muddle 
that  is  called  this  world. 

The  history  of  ideas  is  perhaps  the  only  history  that  can 
be  clearly  followed  out  in  India,  but  this  is  traceable  with 
a  wonderful  distinctness.  At  this  point  in  the  history  of 
Brahma,  where  he  creates  the  Prajapatis,  in  a  story  whose 
evident  object  it  is  to  show  the  part  played  by  Shiva  in  the 
process  of  creation,  it  is  obvious  that  we  are  suddenly 
292 


Note  on  Daksha  &*  Shiva 

taking  on  board  the  whole  of  a  more  ancient  cosmogony. 
The  converse  fact,  that  the  gods  of  that  mythology  are 
meeting  for  the  first  time  with  a  new  series  of  more 
ethical  and  spiritual  conceptions  than  have  hitherto  been 
familiar  to  them,  is  equally  indisputable  as  the  story  pro- 
ceeds. One  of  the  new  Prajapatis  has  an  established 
conviction — incongruous  enough  in  a  new  creation,  but 
not  unnatural  in  a  case  of  great  seniority — that  he  himself 
is  Overlord  of  men  and  gods,  and  it  is  greatly  to  his 
chagrin  and  disgust  that  he  finds  his  rank  and  pretensions 
ignored  by  that  god  who  is  known  as  Shiva  or  Mahadeva. 
In  this  very  fact  of  the  suddenness  of  the  offence  given, 
and  the  unexpectedness  of  the  slight,  we  have  an  added 
indication  that  we  are  here  dealing  with  the  introduction 
of  a  new  god  into  the  Hindu  pantheon.  He  is  to  be  made 
a  member  of  its  family  circle  by  a  device  that  is  at  once 
old  and  eternally  new.  The  chief  Prajapati — Daksha  by 
name — out  of  wounded  pride,  conceives  a  violent  feud 
against  Shiva,  the  Great  God.  But  Daksha  had  a 
daughter  called  SatI,  who  is  the  very  incarnation  of 
womanly  piety  and  devotion.  This  maiden's  whole  soul 
is  given  up  in  secret  to  the  worship  and  love  of  the  Great 
God.  Now  she  is  the  last  unmarried  daughter  of  her 
father,  and  the  time  for  her  wooing  and  betrothal  cannot 
be  much  longer  delayed.  It  is  announced,  therefore,  that 
her  Swayamvara — the  ceremony  of  choosing  her  own 
husband  performed  by  a  king's  daughter — is  about  to  be 
held,  and  invitations  are  issued  to  all  the  eligible  gods  and 
princes.  Shiva  alone  is  not  invited,  and  to  Shiva  the 
whole  heart  of  SatI  is  irrevocably  given.  On  stepping 
into  the  pavilion  of  the  bridal  choice,  therefore,  with  the 
marriage  garland  in  her  hand,  SatI  makes  a  supreme 
appeal.  "  If  I  be  indeed  SatI,"  she  exclaims,  throwing  the 

293 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

garland  into  the  air,  "then  do  thou,  Shiva,  receive  my 
garland  ! "  And  immediately  he  was  there  in  the  midst 
of  them  with  her  garland  round  his  neck.  The  story  of 
the  further  development  of  the  feud  is  related  above. 
Ancient  as  is  now  the  story  of  the  wedding  of  the  daughter 
of  the  older  Lord  of  Creation  with  the  new-comer  amongst 
the  gods,  it  is  clear  at  this  point  that  Daksha  was  already 
so  old  that  the  origin  of  his  goat's  head  had  been  forgotten, 
and  was  felt  to  require  explanation  by  the  world  of  the 
day  that  accepted  Shiva.  To  an  age  before  the  birth  of 
Buddhism  he  may  have  been  familiar  enough,  but  the 
preaching  of  that  faith  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
India  must  by  this  time  have  educated  the  people  to  demand- 
ing moral  and  spiritual  attributes  in  their  deities  instead 
of  a  mere  congeries  of  cosmic  powers,  and  so  trained  they 
came  back,  it  would  appear,  to  the  conception  of  Daksha  as 
to  something  whose  significance  they  had  forgotten. 

Suggestions  of  Earlier  Myths 

Traces  of  something  still  more  ancient  are  to  be  seen  in 
the  next  act  of  this  sacred  drama,  when  Shiva,  drunk  with 
sorrow,  strides  about  the  earth,  all  destroying,  bearing  the 
form  of  the  dead  SatI  on  his  back.  The  soil  is  dried  up, 
plants  wither,  harvests  fail.  All  nature  shudders  under 
the  grief  of  the  Great  God.  Then  Vishnu,  to  save  man- 
kind, comes  up  behind  Shiva  and,  hurling  his  discus  time 
after  time,  cuts  the  body  of  SatI  to  pieces  till  the  Great 
God,  conscious  that  the  weight  is  gone,  retires  alone  to 
Kailas  to  lose  himself  once  more  in  his  eternal  medita- 
tion. But  the  body  of  SatI  has  been  hewn  into  fifty-two 
dieces,  and  wherever  a  fragment  touches  earth  a  shrine  of 
mother-worship  is  established,  and  Shiva  himself  shines 
forth  before  the  suppliant  as  the  guardian  of  that  spot. 
294 


lima 

This  whole  story  brings  vividly  back  to  us  the  quest  of 
Persephone  by  Demeter,  the  Great  Goddess,  that  beautiful 
Greek  myth  of  the  northern  winter;  but  in  the  fifty-two 
pieces  of  the  body  of  Sat!  we  are  irresistibly  reminded  of 
the  seventy-two  fragments  of  another  dead  body,  that  of 
Osiris,  which  was  sought  by  Isis  and  found  in  the  cypress- 
tree  at  Byblos.  The  oldest  year  is  said  to  have  been  one 
of  two  seasons,  or  seventy-two  weeks.  Thus  the  body  of 
Osiris  would  perhaps  signify  the  whole  year,  divided  into 
its  most  calculable  units.  In  the  more  modern  story  we 
find  ourselves  dealing  again  with  a  number  characteristic 
of  the  weeks  of  the  year.  The  fragments  of  the  body  of 
SatI  are  fifty-two.  Does  she,  then,  represent  some  ancient 
personification  which  may  have  been  the  historic  root  of 
our  present  reckoning? 

In  a  general  way  goddesses  are,  as  we  know,  long  anterior 
to  gods,  and  it  is  interesting  to  see  that  in  the  older  myth 
of  Egypt  it  is  the  woman  who  is  active,  the  woman  who 
seeks  and  carries  off  the  dead  body  of  man.  The  com- 
parative modernness  of  the  story  of  Shiva  and  SatI  is  seen, 
amongst  other  things,  in  the  fact  that  the  husband  seeks 
and  finds  and  bears  away  the  wife. 

Uma 

SatI  was  reborn  as  the  daughter  of  the  great  mountain 
Himalaya,  when  her  name  was  Uma,  surnamed  HaimavatI 
from  her  birth ;  another  name  she  had  was  ParvatI, 
daughter  of  the  mountain.  Her  elder  sister  was  the 
river  Ganga.  From  her  childhood  Uma  was  devoted  to 
Shiva,  and  she  would  steal  away  at  night  to  offer  flowers 
and  fruits  and  to  burn  lights  before  the  lingam.  A  deva, 
too,  one  day  predicted  that  she  would  become  the  wife  of 
the  Great  God.     This  awakened  her  father's  pride,  and 

295 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

he  was  anxious  that  she  should  be  betrothed ;  but 
nothing  could  be  done,  for  Shiva  remained  immersed  in 
profound  contemplation,  oblivious  of  all  that  went  on,  all 
his  activity  inward-turned.  Uma  became  his  servant  and 
attended  to  all  his  requirements,  but  could  not  divert  him 
from  the  practice  of  austerities  or  awaken  his  love. 
About  this  time  a  terrible  demon  named  Taraka  greatly 
harassed  the  gods  and  the  world,  perverting  all  seasons 
and  destroying  sacrifices ;  nor  could  the  gods  defeat 
him,  for  in  a  past  age  he  had  won  his  power  from  Brahma 
himself  by  the  practice  of  austerities.  The  gods  therefore 
proceed  to  Brahma  and  pray  his  help.  He  explains  that 
it  would  not  be  fitting  for  him  to  proceed  against  the 
demon,  to  whom  he  himself  had  given  power ;  but  he 
promises  that  a  son  should  be  born  to  Shiva  and  Parvati, 
who  should  lead  the  gods  to  victory. 

The  chief  of  the  gods,  Indra,  next  betook  himself  to 
Kamadeva,  or  Desire,  the  god  of  Love,  and  explained 
the  need  of  his  assistance.  Desire  agreed  to  give  his  aid, 
and  set  out  with  his  wife  Passion  and  his  companion 
the  Spring  to  the  mountain  where  Shiva  dwelt.  At  that 
season  the  trees  were  putting  forth  new  flowers,  the  snow 
had  gone,  and  birds  and  beasts  were  mating ;  only  Shiva 
stayed  in  his  dream  unmoved. 

Even  Desire  was  daunted  till  he  took  new  courage  at  the 
sight  of  Uma's  loveliness.  He  chose  a  moment  when 
Shiva  began  to  relax  his  concentration  and  when  Parvati 
approached  to  worship  him ;  he  drew  his  bow  and  was 
about  to  shoot  when  the  Great  God  saw  him  and 
darted  a  flash  of  fire  from  his  third  eye,  consuming 
Desire  utterly.  Shiva  departed,  leaving  Passion  uncon- 
scious, and  Parvati  was  carried  away  by  her  father.  From 
that  time  Ananga,  Bodiless,  has  been  one  of  Kamadeva's 
296 


XXIII 

THE  ASCETICISM  OF  UMA 

Nanda  Lal  Bosk 

Page  296 


I 


Uma 

names,  for  he  was  not  dead,  and  while  Passion  lamented 
her  lost  lord  a  voice  proclaimed  to  her  :  "  Thy  lover  is 
not  lost  for  evermore ;  when  Shiva  shall  wed  Uma  he 
will  restore  Love's  body  to  his  soul,  a  marriage  gift  to 
his  bride." 

ParvatI  now  reproached  her  useless  beauty,  for  what 
avails  it  to  be  lovely  if  no  lover  loves  that  loveliness  ?  She 
became  a  sannydsini,  an  anchorite,  and  laying  aside  all 
jewels,  with  uncombed  hair  and  a  hermit's  dress  of  bark, 
she  retired  to  a  lonely  mountain  and  spent  her  life  in 
meditation  upon  Shiva  and  the  practice  of  austerities  such 
as  are  dear  to  him.  One  day  a  Brahman  youth  visited 
her,  offering  congratulations  upon  the  constancy  of  her 
devotion;  but  he  asked  her  for  what  reason  she  thus 
spent  her  life  in  self-denial  since  she  had  youth  and 
beauty  and  all  that  heart  could  desire.  She  related  her  story, 
and  said  that  since  Desire  is  dead  she  saw  no  other  way 
to  win  Shiva's  approval  than  this  devotion.  The  youth 
attempted  to  dissuade  ParvatI  from  desiring  Shiva, 
recounting  the  terrible  stones  of  his  inauspicious  acts: 
how  he  wore  a  poisonous  snake  and  a  bloody  elephant- 
hide,  how  he  dwelt  in  cremation  grounds,  how  he  rode  on 
a  bull  and  was  poor  and  of  unknown  birth.  ParvatI  was 
angered  and  defended  her  lord,  finally  declaring  that  her 
love  could  not  be  changed  whatever  was  said  of  him,  true 
or  false.  Then  the  young  Brahman  threw  off  his  disguise 
and  revealed  himself  as  no  other  than  Shiva,  and  he  gave 
her  his  love.  ParvatI  then  returned  home  to  tell  her 
father  of  her  happy  fortune,  and  the  preliminaries  of 
marriage  were  arranged  in  due  form.  At  last  the  day 
came,  both  Shiva  and  his  bride  were  ready,  and  the 
former,  accompanied  by  Brahma  and  Vishnu,  entered 
Himalaya's  city  in  triumphal  procession,  riding  through 

297 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

the  streets  ankle-deep  in  scattered  flowers,  and  Shiva 
bore  away  the  bride  to  Kailas ;  not,  however,  before  he  had 
restored  the  body  of  Desire  to  his  lonely  wife. 
For  many  years  Shiva  and  ParvatI  dwelt  in  bliss  in  their 
Himalayan  paradise;  but  at  last  the  god  of  fire  appeared 
as  a  messenger  from  the  gods  and  reproached  Shiva  that 
he  had  not  begotten  a  son  to  save  the  gods  from  their 
distress.  Shiva  bestowed  the  fruitful  germ  on  Fire,  who 
bore  it  away  and  finally  gave  it  to  Ganges,  who  preserved 
it  till  the  six  Pleiades  came  to  bathe  in  her  waters  at  dawn. 
They  laid  it  in  a  nest  of  reeds,  where  it  became  the  god- 
child Kumara,  the  future  god  of  war.  There  Shiva  and 
ParvatI  found  him  again  and  took  him  to  Kailas,  where 
he  spent  his  happy  childhood.  When  he  had  become  a 
strong  youth  the  gods  requested  his  aid,  and  Shiva  sent 
him  as  their  general  to  lead  an  army  against  Taraka.  He 
conquered  and  slew  the  demon,  and  restored  peace  to 
Heaven  and  earth. 

The  second  son  of  Shiva  and  ParvatI  was  Ganesha ; 1  he  is 
the  god  of  wisdom  and  the  remover  of  obstacles.  One 
day  the  proud  mother,  in  a  forgetful  moment,  asked  the 
planet  Saturn  to  look  upon  her  son:  his  baleful  glance 
reduced  the  child's  head  to  ashes.  ParvatI  asked  advice 
of  Brahma,  and  he  told  her  to  replace  the  head  with  the 
first  she  could  find :  that  was  an  elephant's. 

Umas  Sport 

Mahadeva  sat  one  day  on  a  sacred  mountain  of  Himalaya 
plunged  in  deep  and  arduous  contemplation.  About  him 
were  the  delightful  flowering  forests,  numerous  with  birds 
and  beasts  and  nymphs  and  sprites.  The  Great  God  sat 
in  a  bower  where  heavenly  flowers  opened  and  blazed 

1  See  above,  p.  18. 
298 


Uma's  Sport 

with  radiant  light ;  the  scent  of  sandal  and  the  sound  of 
heavenly  music  were  sensed  on  every  side.  Beyond  all 
telling  was  the  mountain's  loveliness,  shining  with  the 
glory  of  the  Great  God's  penance,  echoing  with  the  hum 
of  bees.  All  the  Seasons  were  present  there,  and  all 
creatures  and  powers  resided  there  with  minds  firm-set 
in  yoga,  in  concentred  thought. 

Mahadeva  had  about  his  loins  a  tiger-skin  and  a  lion's 
pelt  across  his  shoulders.  His  sacred  thread  was  a 
terrible  snake.  His  beard  was  green;  his  long  hair 
hung  in  matted  locks.  The  rishis  bowed  to  the  ground 
in  worship;  by  that  marvellous  vision  they  were  cleansed 
of  every  sin.  There  came  Uma,  daughter  of  Himalaya, 
wife  of  Shiva,  followed  by  his  ghostly  servants.  Garbed 
was  she  like  her  lord,  and  observed  the  same  vows.  The 
jar  she  bore  was  filled  with  the  water  of  every  tlrtha,  and 
the  ladies  of  the  Sacred  Rivers  followed  her.  Flowers 
sprang  up  and  perfumes  were  wafted  on  every  side  as  she 
approached.  Then  Uma,  with  a  smiling  mouth,  in  playful 
mood  covered  the  eyes  of  Mahadeva,  laying  her  lovely 
hands  across  them  from  behind. 

Instantly  life  in  the  universe  waned,  the  sun  grew  pale, 
all  living  things  cowered  in  fear.  Then  the  darkness 
vanished  again,  for  one  blazing  eye  shone  forth  on  Shiva's 
brow,  a  third  eye  like  a  second  sun.  So  scorching  a  flame 
proceeded  from  that  eye  that  Himalaya  was  burnt  with  all 
his  forests,  and  the  herds  of  deer  and  other  beasts  rushed 
headlong  to  Mahadeva's  seat  to  pray  for  his  protection, 
making  the  Great  God's  power  to  shine  with  strange 
brightness.  The  fire  meanwhile  blazed  up  to  the  very 
sky,  covering  every  quarter  like  the  all-destroying  con- 
flagration of  an  aeon's  end.  In  a  moment  the  mountains 
were  consumed,  with  all  their  gems  and  peaks  and  shining 

299 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

herbs.  Then  Himalaya's  daughter,  beholding  her  father 
thus  destroyed,  came  forth  and  stood  before  the  Great 
God  with  her  hands  joined  in  prayer.  Then  Mahadeva, 
seeing  Uma's  grief,  cast  benignant  looks  upon  the  mountain, 
and  at  once  Himalaya  was  restored  to  his  first  estate,  and 
became  as  fair  as  he  had  been  before  the  fire.  All  his 
trees  put  forth  their  flowers,  and  birds  and  beasts  were 
gladdened. 

Then  Uma  with  folded  hands  addressed  her  lord  :  "  O  holy 
one,  lord  of  creatures,"  she  said,  "  I  pray  thee  to  resolve 
my  doubt.  Why  did  this  third  eye  of  thine  appear? 
Why  was  the  mountain  burned  and  all  its  forests  ?  Why 
hast  thou  now  restored  the  mountain  to  his  former  state 
after  destroying  him  ?  " 

Mahadeva  answered:  "Sinless  lady,  because  thou  didst 
cover  up  my  eyes  in  thoughtless  sport  the  universe  grew 
dark.  Then,  O  daughter  of  the  mountain,  I  created  a 
third  eye  for  the  protection  of  all  creatures,  but  the  blazing 
energy  thereof  destroyed  the  mountain.  It  was  for  thy 
sake  that  I  made  Himalaya  whole  again." 

Shiva  s  Fishing 

It  befell  one  day  that  Shiva  sat  with  ParvatI  in  Kailas 
expounding  to  her  the  sacred  text  of  the  Vedas.  He  was 
explaining  a  very  difficult  point  when  he  happened  to  look 
up,  and  behold,  ParvatI  was  manifestly  thinking  of  some- 
thing else  ;  and  when  he  asked  her  to  repeat  the  text  she 
could  not,  for,  in  fact,  she  had  not  been  listening.  Shiva 
was  very  angry,  and  he  said  :  "  Very  well,  it  is  clear  you 
are  not  a  suitable  wife  for  a  yogi ;  you  shall  be  born  on 
earth  as  a  fisherman's  wife,  where  you  will  not  hear  any 
sacred  texts  at  all."  Immediately  ParvatI  disappeared, 
and  Shiva  sat  down  to  practise  one  of  his  deep  contempla- 
300 


Tiger-foot  (Vyaghrapada) 

tions.  But  he  could  not  fix  his  attention;  he  kept  on 
thinking  of  ParvatI  and  feeling  very  uncomfortable.  At 
last  he  said  to  himself  :  "  I  am  afraid  I  was  rather  hasty, 
and  certainly  ParvatI  ought  not  to  be  down  there  on  earth, 
as  a  fisherman's  wife  too;  she  is  my  wife."  He  sent  for 
his  servant  Nandi  and  ordered  him  to  assume  the  form  of 
a  terrible  shark  and  annoy  the  poor  fishermen,  breaking 
their  nets  and  wrecking  their  boats. 

ParvatI  had  been  found  on  the  seashore  by  the  headman 
of  the  fishermen  and  adopted  by  him  as  his  daughter. 
She  grew  up  to  be  a  very  beautiful  and  gentle  girl.  All 
the  young  fishermen  desired  to  marry  her.  By  this  time 
the  doings  of  the  shark  had  become  quite  intolerable;  so 
the  headman  announced  that  he  would  bestow  his  adopted 
daughter  in  marriage  upon  whoever  should  catch  the 
great  shark.  This  was  the  moment  foreseen  by  Shiva ;  he 
assumed  the  form  of  a  handsome  fisher-lad  and,  represent- 
ing- himself  as  a  visitor  from  Madura,  offered  to  catch  the 
shark,  and  so  he  did  at  the  first  throw  of  the  net.  The 
fishermen  were  very  glad  indeed  to  be  rid  of  their  enemy, 
and  the  headman's  daughter  was  given  in  marriage  to  the 
young  man  of  Madura,  much  to  the  disgust  of  her  former 
suitors.  But  Shiva  now  assumed  his  proper  form,  and  be- 
stowing his  blessing  on  Parvatl's  foster-father,  he  departed 
with  her  once  more  to  Kailas.  ParvatI  reflected  that  she 
really  ought  to  be  more  attentive,  but  Shiva  was  so  pleased  to 
have  ParvatI  back  again  that  he  felt  quite  peaceful  and 
quite  ready  to  sit  down  and  take  up  his  interrupted  dreams. 

THE  SAINTS  OF  SHIVA 
Tiger-foot  (Vyaghrapada) 

A  certain  pure  and  learned   Brahman  dwelt  beside  the 
Ganges.     He  had  a  son  endowed  with  strange  powers  and 

301 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

gifts  of  mind  and  body.  He  became  the  disciple  of  his 
father;  when  he  had  learnt  all  that  his  father  could  teach 
him,  the  sage  bestowed  his  blessing,  and  inquired  of  his 
son:  "What remains  that  I  can  do  for  thee?"  Then  the 
son  bowed  down  to  his  father's  feet,  saying:  "Teach  me 
the  highest  form  of  virtue  amongst  those  of  the  hermit 
rule."  The  father  answered:  "The  highest  virtue  is  to 
worship  Shiva."  "Where  best  may  I  do  that?"  asked 
the  youth.  The  father  answered :  "  He  pervades  the  whole 
universe ;  yet  there  are  places  on  earth  of  special  mani- 
festation, even  as  the  all-pervading  Self  is  manifest  in 
individual  bodies.  The  greatest  of  such  shrines  is  Tillai, 
where  Shiva  will  accept  thy  adoration ;  there  is  the  lingam 
of  pure  light." 

The  young  ascetic  left  his  parents  and  set  out  on  his  long 
journey  to  the  south.  Presently  he  came  to  a  beautiful 
lake  covered  with  lotus-flowers,  and  beside  it  he  saw  a 
lingam  under  a  banyan-tree.  He  fell  on  his  face  in  adora- 
tion of  the  lord  and  made  himself  its  priest,  doing  the 
service  of  offering  flowers  and  water  with  unfailing  devotion 
day  by  day.  Not  far  away  he  built  himself  a  little  her- 
mitage and  established  a  second  lingam  in  the  forest. 
But  now  he  found  it  difficult  to  accomplish  perfectly  the 
service  of  both  shrines.  For  he  was  not  content  with  the 
flowers  of  pools  and  fields  and  shrubs,  but  desired  to  make 
daily  offering  of  the  most  exquisite  buds  from  the  summits 
of  the  lofty  forest  trees.  However  early  he  would  start, 
still  the  sun's  fierce  rays  withered  half  of  these  before  he 
could  gather  enough,  nor  could  he  see  in  the  dark  hours 
how  to  choose  the  most  perfect  flowers. 
In  despair  of  perfect  service  he  cast  himself  upon  the 
ground  and  implored  the  god  to  help  him.  Shiva  ap- 
peared and,  with  a  gentle  smile,  bestowed  a  boon  on  the 
302 


Eye-Saint  (Kan-Appan) 

devoted  youth.  He  prayed  that  he  might  receive  the 
hands  and  feet  of  a  tiger,  armed  with  strong  claws  and 
having  keen  eyes  set  in  them,  that  he  might  quickly  climb 
the  highest  trees  and  find  the  most  perfect  flowers  for  the 
service  of  the  shrine.  This  Shiva  granted,  and  thus  the 
youth  became  the  "  Tiger-footed  "  and  the  "  Six-eyed." 

Eye-Saint  (Kan-Appan) 

There  dwelt  long  ago  a  forest  chieftain  who  spent  all  his 
days  in  hunting,  so  that  the  woods  resounded  with  the 
barking  of  his  dogs  and  the  cries  of  his  servants.  He  was 
a  worshipper  of  Subrahmanian,  the  southern  mountain 
deity,  and  his  offerings  were  strong  drink,  cocks  and  pea- 
fowl, accompanied  with  wild  dances  and  great  feasts.  He 
had  a  son,  surnamed  the  Sturdy,  whom  he  took  always  with 
him  on  his  hunting  expeditions,  giving  him  the  education, 
so  they  say,  of  a  young  tiger-cub.  The  time  came  when 
the  old  chief  grew  feeble,  and  he  handed  over  his  authority 
to  the  Sturdy  one. 

He  also  spent  his  days  in  hunting.  One  day  a  great  boar 
made  his  escape  from  the  nets  in  which  he  had  been  taken 
and  rushed  away.  The  Sturdy  one  followed  with  two 
servants,  a  long  and  weary  chase,  till  at  last  the  boar  fell 
down  from  very  weariness,  and  Sturdy  cut  it  atwain. 
When  the  retinue  came  up  they  proposed  to  roast  the  boar 
and  take  their  rest;  but  there  was  no  water,  so  Sturdy 
shouldered  the  boar  and  they  went  farther  afield. 
Presently  they  came  in  sight  of  the  sacred  hill  of  Kala- 
harti ;  one  of  the  servants  pointed  to  its  summit,  where 
there  was  an  image  of  the  god  with  matted  locks.  "Let 
us  go  there  to  worship,"  he  said.  Sturdy  lifted  the  boar 
again  and  strode  on.  But  as  he  walked  the  boar  grew 
lighter  and  lighter,   rousing  great  wonder  in  his  heart. 

303 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  Sf  Buddhists 

He  laid  the  boar  down  and  rushed  on  to  seek  the  meaning 
of  the  miracle.  It  was  not  long  before  he  came  to  a  stone 
lingam,  the  upper  part  of  which  was  shaped  into  the  like- 
ness of  the  god's  head ;  immediately  it  spoke  to  his  soul, 
prepared  by  some  goodness  or  austerity  of  a  previous  birth, 
so  that  his  whole  nature  was  changed,  and  he  thought  of 
nothing  but  the  love  of  the  god  whom  now  he  first  beheld ; 
he  kissed  the  image,  like  a  mother  embracing  a  long-lost 
son.  He  saw  that  water  had  recently  been  poured  upon 
it,  and  the  head  was  crowned  with  leaves ;  one  of  his 
followers,  just  coming  up,  said  that  this  must  have  been 
done  by  an  old  Brahman  devotee  who  had  dwelt  near  by 
in  the  days  of  Sturdy's  father. 

It  came  into  Sturdy's  heart  then  that  perhaps  he  himself 
might  render  some  service  to  the  god.  He  could  scarcely 
bring  himself  to  leave  the  image  all  alone;  but  he  had 
no  other  choice,  and  hurrying  back  to  the  camp,  he  chose 
some  tender  parts  of  the  roasted  flesh,  tasted  them  to  see 
if  they  were  good,  and  taking  these  in  a  cup  of  leaves  and 
some  water  from  the  river  in  his  mouth,  he  ran  back  to 
the  image,  leaving  his  astonished  followers  without  a 
word,  for  they  naturally  thought  he  had  gone  mad.  When 
he  reached  the  image  he  sprinkled  it  with  water  from  his 
mouth,  made  offering  of  the  boar's  flesh  and  laid  upon  it 
the  wild  flowers  from  his  own  hair,  praying  the  god  to 
receive  his  gifts.  Then  the  sun  went  down,  and  Sturdy 
remained  beside  the  image  on  guard  with  bow  strung  and 
arrow  notched.  At  dawn  he  went  forth  to  hunt  that  he 
might  have  new  offerings  to  lay  before  the  god. 
Meanwhile  the  Brahman  devotee  who  had  served  the  god 
so  many  years  came  to  perform  his  customary  morning 
service ;  he  brought  pure  water  in  a  sacred  vessel,  fresh 
flowers  and  leaves,  and  recited  holy  prayers.     What  was 

304 


Eye-Saint  (Kan-Appan) 

his  horror  to  see  that  the  image  had  been  defiled  with 
flesh  and  dirty  water!  He  rolled  in  grief  before  the 
lingam,  asking  the  Great  God  why  he  had  allowed  this 
pollution  of  his  shrine,  for  the  offerings  acceptable  to  Shiva 
are  pure  water  and  fresh  flowers ;  it  is  said  that  there  is 
greater  merit  in  laying  a  single  flower  before  the  god 
than  in  offering  much  gold.  For  this  Brahman  priest 
the  slaying  of  creatures  was  a  hideous  crime,  the  eating 
of  flesh  an  utter  abomination,  the  touch  of  a  man's  mouth 
horrible  pollution,  and  he  looked  on  the  savage  woodland 
hunters  as  a  lower  order  of  creation.  He  reflected,  how- 
ever, that  he  must  not  delay  to  carry  out  his  own  cus- 
tomary service,  so  he  cleansed  the  image  carefully  and 
did  his  worship  according  to  the  Vedic  rite  as  usual,  sang 
the  appointed  hymn,  circumambulated  the  shrine,  and 
returned  to  his  abode. 

For  some  days  this  alternation  of  service  of  the  image 
took  place,  the  Brahman  offering  pure  water  and  flowers 
in  the  morning,  the  hunter  bringing  flesh  at  night.  Mean- 
while Sturdy's  father  arrived,  thinking  his  son  possessed, 
and  strove  to  reason  with  the  young  convert;  but  it  was 
in  vain,  and  they  could  but  return  to  their  village  and 
leave  him  alone. 

The  Brahman  could  not  bear  this  state  of  things  for  long; 
passionately  he  called  on  Shiva  to  protect  his  image  from 
this  daily  desecration.  One  night  the  god  appeared  to 
him,  saying:  "That  of  which  thou  dost  make  complaint 
is  acceptable  and  welcome  to  me.  He  who  offers  flesh 
and  water  from  his  mouth  is  an  ignorant  hunter  of  the 
woods  who  knows  no  sacred  lore.  But  regard  not  him, 
regard  his  motive  alone;  his  rough  frame  is  filled  with 
love  of  me,  that  very  ignorance  is  his  knowledge  of 
myself.     His  offerings,  abominable  in  thy  eyes,  are  pure 

u  305 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

love.     But  thou  shalt  behold  to-morrow  the  proof  of  his 
devotion." 

Next  day  Shiva  himself  concealed  the  Brahman  behind 
the  shrine;  then,  in  order  to  reveal  all  the  devotion  of 
Sturdy,  he  caused  the  likeness  of  blood  to  flow  from  one 
eye.  of  the  image  of  himself.  When  Sturdy  brought  his 
customary  offering,  at  once  he  saw  this  blood,  and  he 
cried  out:  "  O  my  master,  who  hath  wounded  thee?  Who 
has  done  this  sacrilege  when  I  was  not  here  to  guard 
thee?"  Then  he  searched  the  whole  forest  to  seek  for 
the  enemy;  finding  no  one,  he  set  himself  to  stanch  the 
wound  with  medicinal  herbs  ;  but  in  vain.  Then  he  re- 
membered the  adage  of  the  doctors,  that  like  cures  like, 
and  at  once  he  took  a  keen-edged  arrow  and  cut  out  his 
own  right  eye  and  applied  it  to  the  eye  of  the  image  of 
the  god  ;  and  lo!  the  bleeding  ceased  at  once.  But,  alas  ! 
the  second  eye  began  to  bleed.  For  a  moment  Sturdy  was 
cast  down  and  helpless ;  then  it  flashed  upon  him  that  he 
still  had  the  means  of  cure,  of  proved  efficacy.  He  seized 
the  arrow  and  began  to  cut  away  his  other  eye,  putting  his 
foot  against  the  eye  of  the  image,  so  that  he  might  not 
fail  to  find  it  when  he  could  no  longer  see. 
But  now  Shiva's  purpose  was  accomplished ;  he  put  forth 
a  hand  from  the  lingam  and  stayed  the  hunter's  hand,  saying 
to  him  :  "  It  is  enough ;  henceforth  thy  place  shall  be  for 
ever  by  my  side  in  Kailas."  Then  the  Brahman  priest  also 
saw  that  love  is  greater  than  ceremonial  purity  ;  and  Sturdy 
has  been  evermore  adored  as  Eye-Saint. 

Mdnikka  Vdcagar  and  the  Jackals 

This  saint  was  born  near  Madura;  by  his  sixteenth  year 

he    had    exhausted    the    whole   circle    of    contemporary 

Brahman  learning,  especially  the  Shaiva  scriptures;  the 

306 


Manikka  Vac,agar  <Sf  the  Jackals 

report  of  his  learning  and  intelligence  reached  the  king, 
who  sent  for  him  and  made  him  prime  minister.  At  the 
Pandian  court  he  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  Indra's  heaven, 
and  moved  amongst  the  courtiers  like  the  silver  moon 
amongst  the  stars,  arrayed  in  royal  robes,  surrounded  by 
horses  and  elephants,  attended  by  the  umbrella  of  state ; 
for  the  wise  king  left  the  government  entirely  in  his  hands. 
Still  the  young  minister  did  not  lose  his  head ;  he  reminded 
himself  that  these  external  pleasures  are  but  bonds  of  the 
soul,  and  must  be  forsaken  by  those  who  would  obtain 
Release.  He  felt  great  compassion  for  the  toiling  multi- 
tudes who  pass  from  birth  to  birth  suffering  remediless 
griefs.  His  soul  melted  in  passionate  longing  for  Shiva. 
He  continued  to  administer  justice  and  to  rule  well,  but 
ever  hoped  to  meet  with  a  Master  who  would  reveal  to 
him  the  "Way  of  Release."  Like  the  bee  that  flits  from 
flower  to  flower,  he  went  from  one  to  another  of  the  Shaiva 
teachers,  but  found  no  satisfying  truth.  One  day  a 
messenger  came  to  court  announcing  that  a  ship  had 
arrived  in  the  harbour  of  a  neighbouring  king  bringing  a 
cargo  of  splendid  horses  from  abroad.  The  king  at  once 
dispatched  his  minister  with  great  treasure  to  buy  the 
beautiful  horses,  and  he  set  out  in  state,  attended  by  regi- 
ments of  soldiers.  This  was  the  last  great  pageant  of  his 
secular  life. 

Meanwhile  Shiva  himself,  as  he  sat  in  his  court  in 
Heaven  with  Uma  by  his  side,  announced  his  intention  to 
descend  to  earth  in  the  shape  of  a  human guiu  or  Master, 
that  he  might  initiate  a  disciple  for  the  conversion  of  the 
South  and  the  glory  of  the  Tamil  speech.  He  took  his 
seat  accordingly  under  a  great  spreading  tree,  surrounded 
by  many  servants  in  the  form  of  Shaiva  saints,  his 
disciples.    At  his  advent  the  trees  put  forth  their  blossoms, 

307 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  (IP  Buddhists 

the  birds  sang  on  every  branch  of  the  grove  near  by  the 
seaport  where  the  lord  had  taken  his  seat.  Then  the 
young  envoy  passed  by,  attended  by  his  retinue,  and  heard 
the  sound  of  Shaiva  hymns  proceeding  from  the  grove. 
He  sent  a  messenger  to  learn  the  source  of  the  divine 
music,  and  was  told  that  there  was  seated  a  saintly  Master, 
like  to  Shiva  himself,  beneath  a  great  tree,  attended  by 
a  thousand  devotees.  He  dismounted  and  proceeded 
reverently  toward  the  sage,  who  appeared  to  his  vision 
like  Shiva  himself,  with  his  blazing  third  eye.  He  made 
inquiries  as  to  the  divine  truths  taught  by  the  sage  and 
his  disciples;  he  was  converted  and  threw  himself  at  the 
Master's  feet  in  tears,  renouncing  all  worldly  honour;  he 
received  a  solemn  initiation,  and  became  a  Jwan-mukta, 
one  who  attains  Release  even  while  still  incarnate  in 
human  form.  He  adopted  the  white  ashes  and  braided 
locks  of  a  Shaiva  yogi.  Moreover,  he  made  over  to  the 
Master  and  his  attendants  all  the  treasure  entrusted  to  him 
for  the  purchase  of  the  horses. 

The  noble  retinue  now  approached  the  converted  minister, 
and  remonstrated  with  this  disposal  of  his  master's 
property;  but  he  bade  them  depart,  "  for  why,"  he  asked, 
"would  you  bring  me  back  to  mundane  matters  such 
as  this?"  They  therefore  returned  to  Madura  and 
announced  to  the  king  what  had  taken  place.  He  was  not 
unnaturally  enraged,  and  sent  a  curt  order  for  the 
minister's  immediate  return.  He  only  answered  :  "I 
know  no  king  but  Shiva,  from  whom  not  even  the 
messengers  of  Death  could  lead  me."  Shiva,  however, 
bade  him  return  to  Madura  and  fear  nothing,  but  to  say 
that  the  horses  would  arrive  in  due  course.  The  god 
also  provided  him  with  a  suitable  equipage  and  a  price- 
less ruby.  The  king  at  first  accepted  his  assurances  that 
308 


Manikka  Vagagar  &>  the  Jackals 

the  horses  would  arrive;  but  the  story  of  the  other 
courtier  prevailed,  and  two  days  before  the  promised 
arrival  of  the  horses  the  young  minister  was  thrown  into 
prison. 

The  lord,  however,  cared  for  his  disciple.  He  gathered 
together  a  multitude  of  jackals,  converted  them  into 
splendid  horses,  and  sent  them  to  court,  with  hosts 
of  minor  deities  disguised  as  grooms;  he  himself  rode 
at  the  head  of  the  troops,  disguised  as  the  merchant  from 
whom  the  horses  were  supposed  to  have  been  purchased. 
The  king  was  of  course  delighted,  and  released  the 
minister  with  many  apologies.  The  horses  were  delivered 
and  sent  to  the  royal  stables ;  the  disguised  gods  departed, 
and  all  seemed  well. 

Before  dawn  the  town  was  aroused  by  awful  howlings; 
the  horses  had  turned  into  jackals  and,  worse  still,  were 
devouring  the  real  horses  in  the  king's  stables.  The 
king  perceived  that  he  had  been  deceived,  and  seized  the 
wretched  minister  and  had  him  exposed  to  the  noonday 
sun,  with  a  heavy  stone  upon  his  back.  He  prayed  to  his 
lord;  Shiva  in  answer  released  the  waters  of  Ganga 
from  his  matted  locks  and  flooded  the  town.  Again  the 
king  perceived  his  error ;  he  restored  the  sage  to  a  place 
of  honour,  and  set  about  erecting  a  dam  to  save  the 
town.  When  this  was  accomplished,  the  king  offered  to 
resign  his  kingdom  to  the  saint;  but  Manikka  Vacagar 
preferred  to  retire  to  the  seaport  where  he  first  beheld 
the  lord.  There  he  took  up  his  place  at  the  feet  of  the 
guru.  Shiva's  work,  however,  was  now  accomplished ; 
he  departed  to  Heaven,  leaving  it  a  charge  upon  Manikka 
Vacagar  to  establish  the  faith  throughout  Tamilakam. 
Thereafter  the  saint  spent  his  life  in  wandering  from  town 
to  town,  singing  the  impassioned  devotional  hymns  from 

309 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

which  is  derived  his  name  of  "  Him  whose  Utterance  is 
Rubies."  At  last  he  reached  Chitambaram,  the  sacred 
city  where  Shiva's  dance  is  daily  beheld,  the  abode  also 
of  the  saint  named  Tiger-foot ;  here  the  sage  dwelt  until 
his  passing  away  into  the  lord.  This  was  the  manner  of 
that  beatification.  After  a  great  controversy  with  Buddhist 
heretics  from  Ceylon  there  appeared  a  venerable  but 
unknown  devotee  who  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  write  down 
all  the  saint's  songs  from  his  own  lips.  This  he  did,  and 
then  disappeared ;  for  it  was  no  other  than  Shiva  himself, 
who  took  the  songs  to  heaven  for  the  gladdening  of 
the  gods.  Next  morning  a  perfect  copy  was  found,  a 
thousand  verses  in  all,  signed  by  the  god  himself,  beside 
his  image  in  Chitambaram.  All  the  devotees  of  the 
temple  hastened  to  the  saint  for  an  explanation  ;  he  told 
them  to  follow  him,  and  led  them  to  the  image  of  Shiva 
in  the  Golden  Court.  "That  is  the  meaning,"  he  said, 
and  therewith  he  disappeared,  melting  into  the  image 
itself,  and  he  was  seen  no  more. 

A  Legend  of  Shiva  s  Dance 

It  came  to  the  knowledge  of  Shiva  that  there  resided  in 
Taragam  forest  ten  thousand  heretical  rishis,  who  taught 
that  the  universe  is  eternal,  that  souls  have  no  lord,  and 
that  the  performance  of  works  alone  suffices  for  the 
attainment  of  salvation.  Shiva  determined  to  teach 
them  the  truth.  He  bade  Vishnu  accompany  him  in  the 
form  of  a  beautiful  woman,  and  the  two  entered  the  wild 
forest,  Shiva  disguised  as  a  wandering  yogi,  Vishnu  as  his 
wife.  Immediately  all  the  rishis'  wives  were  seized  with 
violent  longing  for  the  yogi ;  the  rishis  themselves  were 
equally  infatuated  with  the  seeming  yogi's  wife.  Soon 
the  whole  hermitage  was  in  an  uproar ;  but  presently  the 
310 


* 


XXIV 

THE  DANCE  OK  SHIVA 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdak 

Page  310 


A  Legend  of  Shiva's  Dance 

hermits  began  to  suspect  that  things  were  not  quite  what 
they  seemed;    they  gathered   together,   and   pronounced 
quite  ineffectual  curses  on  the  visitors.     Then  they  pre- 
pared a  sacrificial  fire,  and  evoked  from  it  a  terrible  tiger 
which    rushed    upon    Shiva    to    devour   him.      He   only 
smiled,  and   gently  picking  it  up,  he  peeled  off  its  skin 
with  his  little  finger,  and  wrapped  it  about  himself  like  a 
silk  shawl.     Then  the  rishis  produced  a  horrible  serpent ; 
but  Shiva  hung  it  round  his  neck  for  a  garland.     Then 
there  appeared  a  malignant  black  dwarf  with  a  great  club ; 
but  Shiva  pressed  his  foot  upon  its  back  and  began  to 
dance,  with  his  foot  still  pressing  down  the  goblin.     The 
weary  hermits,  overcome  by  their  own  efforts,  and  now  by 
the  splendour  and  swiftness  of  the  dance  and  the  vision 
of  the  opening  heavens,  the  gods  having  assembled  to 
behold  the   dancer,  threw   themselves   down  before  the 
glorious  god  and  became  his  devotees. 
Now   ParvatI   descended  on  the  white  bull,  and   Shiva 
departed  with  her  to  Kailas.     Vishnu  was  thus  left  alone 
with  his  attendant,  the  serpent  Ati-Sheshan,  Ananta,  the 
Infinite,  upon  whom  he  rests  on  the  ocean  of  milk  during 
the  night  of  Brahma.     Each  was  dazed  with  the  beauty  of 
Shiva's  dance,  and  Ati-Sheshan  especially  longed  to  see 
the  vision  again.     Vishnu  therefore  released  the  serpent 
from  his  service,  appointing  his  son  to  take  his  place ;  he 
advised  his  late  servant  to  repair  to  Kailas  and  to  obtain 
the    favour  of   Shiva  by  a    life  of  asceticism.     So  the 
serpent  devotee,   with  his  thousand  jewelled   heads,   de- 
parted to  the  northern  regions  to  lay   aside   his  secular 
glory  and  become  the  least  of  Shiva's  devotees.     After  a 
time,  Shiva,  assuming  the  form  of  Brahma  riding  upon 
his   swan,  appeared  to    test  the  devotee's  sincerity ;    he 
pointed   out  that  already  enough    had   been  endured  to 

3" 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

merit  the  delights  of  paradise  and  a  high  place  in  Heaven, 
and  he  offered  a  boon.  But  the  serpent  answered :  "  I  desire 
no  separate  heaven,  nor  miraculous  gifts;  I  desire  only  to 
see  for  ever  the  mystic  dance  of  the  Lord  of  all."  Brahma 
argued  with  him  in  vain ;  the  serpent  will  remain  as  he 
is,  if  need  be  until  death  and  throughout  other  lives, 
until  he  obtains  the  blessed  vision.  Shiva  then  assumed 
his  own  form,  and  riding  beside  Parvati  on  their  snow- 
white  bull,  he  approached  the  great  snake  and  touched  his 
head. 

Then  he  proceeded  like  an  earthly  guru — and  for  the 
Shaivites  every  true  Master  is  an  incarnation  of  God — to 
impart  ancient  wisdom  to  his  new  disciple.  The  universe, 
he  said,  is  born  of  Maya,  illusion,  to  be  the  scene  of 
countless  incarnations  and  of  actions  both  good  and  evil. 
As  an  earthen  pot  has  for  its  first  cause  the  potter,  for 
material  cause  the  clay,  and  instrumental  cause  the 
potter's  staff  and  wheel,  so  the  universe  has  illusion  for  its 
material  cause,  the  Shakti  of  Shiva — that  is,  Parvati — for 
its  instrumental  cause,  and  Shiva  himself  for  its  first  cause. 
Shiva  has  two  bodies,  the  one  with  parts  and  visible,  the 
other  without  parts,  invisible  and  transcendental.  Beyond 
these  again  is  his  own  essential  form  of  light  and 
splendour.  He  is  the  soul  of  all,  and  his  dance  is  the 
creation,  preservation,  and  destruction  of  the  universe,  and 
the  giving  of  bodies  to  souls  and  their  release.  The 
dance  is  ceaseless  and  eternal ;  Ati-Sheshan  shall  behold 
it  again  at  Tillai,  Chitambaram,  the  centre  of  the  universe. 
"  Meanwhile,"  said  Shiva,  "  thou  shalt  put  off  thy  serpent 
form  and,  born  of  mortal  parents,  shalt  proceed  to  Tillai, 
where  thou  shalt  find  a  grove,  where  is  a  lingam,  the 
first  of  all  lingams,  tended  by  my  servant  Tiger-foot. 
Dwell  with  him  in  the  hermitage  that  he  has  made,  and 
312 


Note  on  Shiva's  Dance 

there  shall  come  a  time  when  the  dance  shall  be  revealed 
to  thee  and  him  together." 

Such  is  the  story  of  the  revelation  of  Shiva's  dance  in  the 
forest  of  Taragam. 

Note  on  Shiva  s  Dance 

The  above  is  but  one  of  many  legends  of  Shiva's  dance. 
The  dance  itself  represents  the  activity  of  Shiva  as  the 
source  of  all  movement  within  the  universe,  and  especially 
his  five  acts,  creation,  preservation,  destruction,  embodL 
ment,  and  release;  its  purpose  is  to  release  the  souls  of 
men  from  illusion.  It  is  frequently  emphasized  that  the 
place  of  the  dance,  the  sacred  shrine  of  Tillai  or  Chitam- 
baram,  is  in  reality  within  the  heart ;  the  human  soul 
attains  release  when  the  vision  is  beheld  within  itself.  It 
will  be  seen  that  Shiva  has  many  forms,  "  evil "  as  well  as 
"good."  This  must  ever  be  so  if  we  are  not  to  postulate 
a  separate  "devil."  As  dancer  in  the  burning-ground, 
the  most  terrible  and  unclean  of  places,  he  is  essentially  a 
pre- Aryan  demon  ;  he  is  also  "  The  Terrible  "  and  "The 
Destroyer."  Later  Shaivate  thought  makes  effective 
use  of  this  dramatic  imagery,  not  merely  arguing 
that  the  demons  also  must  be  a  portion  of  God,  nor 
simply  transferring  the  place  of  the  dance  to  the  sacred 
shrine  at  Chitambaram,  but  accepting  the  dance  as  it  is, 
and  finding  a  new  meaning  in  the  cremation-ground,  the 
heart  of  the  devotee,  waste  and  desolate,  the  place  where 
the  self  and  its  deeds  are  burnt  away,  and  all  is  destroyed 
but  the  dancer  himself. 


313 


CHAPTER  VII  :  OTHER  STORIES 
FROM  THE  PURANAS,  EPICS,  AND 
VEDAS 

The  Churning  of  the  Ocean 

IT  happened  long  ago  that  Indra,  king  of  the  gods,  was 
cursed  by  the  great  rishi  Durvasas,  a  portion  of 
Shiva,  for  a  slight  he  put  on  him.  Thenceforward 
Indra  and  all  the  three  worlds  lost  their  energy  and 
strength,  and  all  things  went  to  ruin.  Then  the  daityas 
or  asuras  put  forth  their  strength  against  the  enfeebled  gods, 
so  that  they  fled  to  Brahma  for  protection  ;  he  then  advised 
them  to  seek  aid  from  Vishnu,  the  tamer  of  demons,  the 
undying  God,  creator,  preserver,  and  destroyer.  So  Brahma 
spoke,  and  himself  led  the  gods  along  the  northern  shore 
of  the  sea  of  milk  to  Vishnu's  seat,  and  prayed  his  aid. 
Then  the  Supreme  Deity,  bearing  his  emblems  of  conch  and 
disc  and  mace,  and  radiant  with  light,  appeared  before  the 
grandsire  and  other  deities,  and  to  him  again  they  all 
made  prayer.  Then  Hari  smiled  and  said:  "I  shall 
restore  your  strength.  Do  now  as  I  command  :  Cast  into 
the  Milky  Sea  potent  herbs,  then  take  Mount  Mandara 
for  churning-stick,  the  serpent  Vasuki  for  rope,  and  churn 
the  ocean  for  the  dew  of  life.  For  this  you  need  the 
daityas*  aid  ;  make  alliance  with  them,  therefore,  and 
engage  to  share  with  them  the  fruit  of  your  combined 
labour  ;  promise  them  that  by  drinking  the  ambrosia  they 
shall  become  immortal.  But  I  shall  see  to  it  that  they 
have  no  share  of  the  water  of  life,  but  theirs  shall  be  the 
labour  only." 

Thus  the  gods  entered  into  alliance  with  the  demons,  and 
jointly  undertook  the  churning  of  the  sea  of  milk.  They 
cast  into  it  potent  herbs,  they  took  Mount  Mandara  for 

3M 


XXV 

SHIVA  DRINKING  THE  WORLD-POISON 

Nanda  Lai.  Bosk 
Page  314 


- 


- 


The  Churning  of  the  Ocean 

the  churning-stick  and  Vasuki  for  the  rope.1     The  gods 
took  up  their  station  by  the  serpent's  tail,  the  daityas  at 
its  head.     Hari  himself  in  tortoise  shape  became  a  pivot 
of  the   mountain    as  it   was   whirled    around ;    he    was 
present  also  unseen  amongst  the  gods  and  demons,  pull- 
ing the  serpent  to  and  fro  ;  in  another  vast  body  he  sat 
upon  the  summit  of  the  mountain.     With  other  portions 
of  his  energy  he  sustained  the  serpent  king,  and  infused 
power  into  the  bodies  of  the  gods.      As  they  laboured 
thus  the  flames  of  Vasukl's  breath  scorched  the  faces  of 
the  demons;  but  the  clouds  that  drifted  toward  his  tail 
refreshed  the  gods  with  vivifying  showers. 
First   from    the   sea    rose    up   the    wish-bestowing   cow 
Surabhi,    gladdening   the   eyes  of  the   divinities ;    then 
came  the  goddess  Varum,  with  rolling  eyes,  the  divinity 
of  wine ;  then  upsprang  the  Parijata  tree  of  paradise,  the 
delight  of  Heaven's  nymphs,  perfuming  all  the  world  with 
the  fragrance  of   its    flowers;  then    rose   the   troops   of 
apsaras,  of  entrancing  loveliness  and  grace.     Then  rose 
the  moon,  whom  Mahadeva   seized    and    set    upon   his 
brow ;  and  then  came  a  draught  of  deadly  poison,  and 
that   also    Mahadeva   took    and    drank,   lest    it    should 
destroy  the  world :  it  is  that  bitter  poison  that  turned  his 
throat  blue,  wherefore  he  is  known  as  Nilakantha,  blue- 
throat,  ever  after.     Next  came  Dhanwantarl,  holding  in 
his  hand  a  cup  of  the  dew  of  life,  delighting  the  eyes  of 
the  daityas  and  the  rishis.     Then  appeared  the  goddess 
Shrl,  the  delight  of  Vishnu,  radiant,  seated  on  an  open 
lotus  ;    the   great  sky-elephants  anointed  her  with  pure 

1  The  Indian  milk-churn  is  a  stick  round  which  a  long  rope  is  twisted, 
and  pulled  alternately  from  opposite  ends.  The  rope  itself  holds  up  the 
stick  in  a  vertical  position,  and  the  turning  of  it  to  and  fro  accom- 
plishes the  churning. 

315 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <Sf  Buddhists 

water  brought  by  Ganga  and  poured  from  golden  vessels, 
while  the  enraptured  sages  sang  her  praises.  The  Milky- 
Sea  adorned  her  with  a  wreath  of  unfading  flowers; 
Vishvakarma  decked  her  with  celestial  jewels.  Then  she, 
who  was  in  sooth  the  bride  of  Vishnu,  cast  herself  upon 
his  breast,  and  there  reclining  turned  her  eyes  upon  the 
delighted  gods.  But  little  pleased  were  the  daityas,  for 
now  were  they  abandoned  by  the  goddess  of  prosperity. 
The  angry  daityas  snatched  the  cup  of  nectar  from 
Dhanwantarl  and  bore  it  off.  But  Vishnu,  assuming  an 
exquisite  and  ravishing  woman-form,  deluded  and 
fascinated  them,  and  while  they  disagreed  amongst 
themselves  he  stole  away  the  draught  and  brought  it  to 
the  gods,  who  drank  deep  from  the  cup  of  life.  In- 
vigorated thereby,  they  put  the  demons  to  flight  and  drove 
them  down  to  Hell,  and  worshipped  Vishnu  with  rejoicing. 
The  sun  shone  clear  again,  the  Three  Worlds  became  once 
more  prosperous,  and  devotion  blossomed  in  the  hearts  of 
every  creature.  Indra,  seated  upon  his  throne,  composed 
a  hymn  of  praise  for  Lakshmi;  she,  thus  praised,  granted 
him  wishes  twain.  This  was  the  choice,  that  never  again 
should  she  abandon  the  Three  Worlds,  nor  should  she 
ever  forsake  any  that  should  sing  her  praise  in  the  words 
of  Indra's  hymn. 

Whoso  hears  this  story  of  the  birth  of  Lakshmi  from  the 
Milky  Sea,  whosoever  reads  it,  that  goddess  of  good 
fortune  shall  never  leave  his  house  for  generations  three; 
strife  or  misfortune  may  never  enter  where  the  hymn  to 
Lakshmi  is  sung. 


316 


The  Birth  of  Ganga 

The  Birth  of  Ganga 

There  was  once  a  king  of  Ayodhya,  by  name  Sagara.  He 
eagerly  desired  children,  but  had  no  issue.  His  elder  wife 
was  KeshinI,  the  second  Sumati,  sister  of  Garuda.  With 
these  twain  he  came  to  Himalaya  to  practise  an  austere 
penance.  When  a  hundred  years  had  passed,  the  rishi 
Brigu,  whom  he  had  honoured,  granted  him  his  wish. 
"  Thou  shalt  attain  unparalleled  renown  amongst  men,"  he 
said.  "  One  wife  of  thine,  KeshinI,  shall  bring  forth  a  son 
who  will  perpetuate  thy  race;  the  other  shall  give  birth  to 
sixty  thousand  sons."  Those  daughters  of  kings  were 
glad,  and  worshipping  the  rishi,  they  asked:  "Who  of  us 
shall  have  one  son  and  who  many  we  would  know." 
He  asked  their  will.  "Who  wishes  for  which  boon?"  he 
said,  "a  single  perpetuator  of  the  line,  or  sixty  thousand 
famous  sons,  who  yet  shall  not  carry  on  their  race  ?  " 
Then  KeshinI  chose  the  single  son,  and  Garuda's  sister 
chose  the  many.  Thereafter  the  king  revered  the  saint 
with  circumambulation  and  obeisance  and  returned  again 
to  his  city. 

In  due  course  KeshinI  bore  a  son,  to  whom  was  given  the 
name  of  Asamanja.  Sumati  bore  a  gourd,  and  when  it 
burst  open  the  sixty  thousand  sons  came  forth  ;  the  nurses 
fostered  them  in  jars  of  ghee  until  they  grew  up  to  youth 
and  beauty.  But  the  eldest  son,  the  child  of  KeshinI, 
loved  them  not,  but  would  cast  them  in  the  Sarayu  river 
and  watch  them  sink.  For  this  evil  disposition  and  for 
the  wrongs  he  did  to  citizens  and  honest  folk  Asamanja 
was  banished  by  his  father.  But  he  had  himself  a  son 
named  Suman,  fair-spoken  to  all  and  well-beloved. 
When  many  years  had  passed  Sagara  determined  to 
celebrate  a  mighty  sacrifice.     The  place  thereof  was  in 

317 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

the  region  between  Himalaya  and  Vindhya.  There  the 
horse  was  loosed,  and  Anshumat,  a  mighty  chariot-fighter, 
followed  to  protect  it.  But  it  befell  that  a  certain  Vasava, 
assuming  the  form  of  a  rakshasi,  stole  the  horse  away. 
Then  the  Brahman  priests  informed  the  king,  and  com- 
manded him  to  slay  the  thief  and  bring  back  the  horse, 
lest  the  sacrifice  should  fail  and  misfortune  should  follow 
all  concerned. 

Then  Sagara  sent  forth  his  sixty  thousand  sons  to  seek  the 
horse.  "  Search  ye  the  whole  sea-girt  earth,"  he  said, 
"league  by  league,  above  the  ground  or  under  it."  Then 
those  great  princes  ranged  the  earth.  Finding  not  the 
horse  upon  its  surface,  they  began  to  delve  with  hands  like 
thunderbolts  and  mighty  ploughshares,  so  that  the  earth 
cried  out  in  pain.  Great  was  the  uproar  of  the  serpents 
and  the  demons  that  were  slain  then.  For  sixty  thousand 
leagues  they  dug  as  if  they  would  reach  the  very  lowest 
deep.  They  undermined  all  Jambudwlpa,  so  that  the  very 
gods  feared  and  went  into  counsel  unto  Brahma.  "  O 
great  grandsire,"  they  said,  "  the  sons  of  Sagara  are 
digging  out  the  whole  earth  and  many  are  slain  therefor. 
Crying  that  one  hath  stolen  Sagara's  horse,  they  are 
bringing  havoc  on  every  creature."  Then  Brahma 
answered:  "This entire  earth  isVasudeva's  consort;  he 
is  indeed  her  lord,  and  in  the  form  of  Kapila  sustains  her. 
By  his  wrath  the  sons  of  Sagara  will  be  slain.  The  far- 
sighted  have  foreseen  the  fated  digging  out  of  earth  and 
the  death  of  Sagara's  sons;  therefore  ye  should  not  fear." 
Then  having  riven  the  entire  earth  and  ranged  it  all  about, 
the  sons  returned  to  Sagara  and  asked  what  they  should 
do,  for  they  could  not  find  the  horse.  But  he  commanded 
them  again  to  burrow  in  the  earth  and  find  the  horse. 
"Then  cease,"  he  said,  "not  before."  Again  they 
3^8 


The  Birth  of  Ganga 

plunged  into  the  depths.  There  they  came  on  the 
elephant  Virupaksha,  who  bears  on  his  head  the  whole 
world  with  its  hills  and  forests,  and  when  he  shakes  his 
head  that  is  an  earthquake.  Him  they  duly  worshipped 
and  passed  on.  To  the  south  they  came  next,  to  another 
mighty  elephant,  Mahapadma,  like  a  mountain,  bearing 
the  earth  upon  his  head;  in  like  wise  they  came  also  to 
the  western  elephant  named  Saumanasa,  and  thence  to  the 
north,  where  is  Bhadra,  white  as  snow,  bearing  the  earth 
upon  his  brow.  Passing  him  by  with  honour,  they  came  to 
the  quarter  east  of  north  ;  there  they  beheld  the  eternal 
Vasudeva  in  the  shape  of  Kapila,  and  hard  by  him  they 
saw  the  horse  browsing  at  his  will.  They  rushed  on 
Kapila  in  fury,  attacking  him  with  trees  and  boulders, 
spades  and  ploughs,  crying:  "Thou  art  the  thief;  now 
thou  hast  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  sons  of  Sagara." 
But  Kapila  uttered  a  dreadful  roar  and  flashed  a  burning 
flame  upon  the  sons  that  burned  them  all  to  ashes.  No 
news  of  this  came  back  to  Sagara. 

Then  Sagara  addressed  his  grandson  Suman,  bidding 
him  seek  his  uncles  and  learn  their  fate,  "and,"  said  he, 
"  there  be  strong  and  mighty  creatures  dwelling  in  earth ; 
honour  such  as  do  not  hinder  thee,  slay  those  that  stand 
against  thee,  and  return,  accomplishing  my  desire."  He 
came  in  turn  to  the  elephants  of  east  and  south  and  west 
and  north,  and  each  assured  him  of  success;  at  last  he 
came  to  the  heap  of  ashes  that  had  been  his  uncles  ;  there 
he  wailed  with  heavy  heart  in  bitter  grief.  There,  too, 
he  beheld  the  wandering  horse.  He  desired  to  perform 
the  funeral  lustrations  for  the  uncles,  but  he  might  find  no 
water  anywhere.  Then  he  beheld  Garuda  passing  through 
the  air;  he  cried  to  Anshumat:  "Do  not  lament;  for 
these  to  have  been  destroyed  is  for  the  good  of  all.     The 

319 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

great  Kapila  consumed  these  mighty  ones;  therefore  thou 
shouldst  not  make  for  them  the  common  offerings  of 
water.  But  there  is  Ganga,  daughter  of  Himalaya ;  let 
that  purifier  of  every  world  lave  this  heap  of  ashes  ;  then 
shall  the  sixty  thousand  sons  of  Sagara  attain  to  Heaven. 
Do  thou  also  take  back  the  horse  and  bring  to  completion 
thy  grandfather's  sacrifice."  Then  Anshumat  led  back 
the  horse,  and  Sagara's  ceremony  was  completed ;  but  he 
knew  not  how  to  bring  to  earth  the  daughter  of  Himalaya. 
Sagara  died  and  Anshumat  was  chosen  king.  He  was  a 
great  ruler,  and  at  last  resigned  the  kingdom  to  his  son 
and  retired  to  dwell  alone  in  the  Himalayan  forests;  in 
due  time  he  also  passed  away  and  reached  Heaven.  His 
son,  King  Dilipa,  constantly  pondered  how  to  bring  down 
Ganga,  that  the  ashes  might  be  purified  and  Sagara's  sons 
attain  to  Heaven.  But  after  thirty  thousand  years  he,  too, 
died,  and  his  son  Bhaglratha,  a  royal  saint,  followed  him. 
Ere  long  he  consigned  the  kingdom  to  the  care  of  a 
counsellor  and  went  to  the  Himalayan  forests,  performing 
terrible  austerities  for  a  thousand  years  to  draw  down 
Ganga  from  the  skies.  Then  Brahma  was  pleased  by  his 
devotion,  and  appeared  before  him,  granting  a  boon.  He 
prayed  that  the  ashes  of  the  sons  of  Sagara  should  be 
washed  by  the  water  of  Ganga,  and  that  a  son  might 
speedily  be  born  to  him.  "  Great  is  thy  aim,"  replied  the 
grandsire,  "but  thou  shouldst  invoke  Mahadeva  to  receive 
the  falling  Ganga,  for  earth  may  not  sustain  her.  None 
but  he  who  sways  the  trident  may  sustain  her  fall." 
Then  for  a  year  Bhaglratha  worshipped  Shiva;  and  he, 
well  pleased,  undertook  to  bear  the  mountain-daughter's 
fall,  receiving  the  river  upon  his  head.  Then  Ganga,  in 
mighty  torrent,  cast  herself  down  from  Heaven  on  to 
Shiva's  gracious  head,  thinking  in  her  pride  :  "  I  shall 
320 


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Jki£N 


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XXVI 

THE  BIRTH  OF  GANGA 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar 
Page  320 


1 


rJT 


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The  Birth  of  Ganga 

sweep  away  the  Great  God  in  jny  waters,  down  to  the 
nether  regions."  But  when  Ganga  fell  on  Shiva's  tangled 
locks  she  might  not  even  reach  the  earth,  but  wandered 
there  unable  to  escape  for  many  a  long  year.  Then 
Bhaglratha  again  engaged  in  many  hard  austerities,  till 
Shiva  would  set  the  river  free ;  she  fell  in  seven  streams, 
three  to  the  east,  three  to  the  west,  while  one  followed  after 
Bhaglratha's  car.  The  falling  waters  made  a  sound  like 
thunder;  very  wonderful  the  earth  appeared,  covered  with 
fallen  and  falling  fishes,  tortoises,  and  porpoises.  Devas, 
rishis,  gandharvas,  and  yakshas  witnessed  the  great  sight 
from  their  elephants  and  horses  and  self-moving  chariots; 
every  creature  marvelled  at  the  coming  down  of  Ganga. 
The  presence  of  the  shining  devas  and  the  brightness  of 
their  jewels  lit  up  the  sky  as  if  with  a  hundred  suns.  The 
heavens  were  filled  with  speeding  porpoises  and  fishes  like 
flashes  of  bright  lightning ;  the  flakes  of  pale  foam  seemed 
like  snow-white  cranes  crossing  heavy  autumn  clouds.  So 
Ganga  fell,  now  directly  onward,  now  aside,  sometimes  in 
many  narrow  streams,  and  again  in  one  broad  torrent ;  now 
ascending  hills,  then  falling  again  into  a  valley.  Very  fair 
was  that  vision  of  the  water  falling  from  Heaven  to 
Shankara's  head,  and  from  Shankara's  head  to  earth.  All 
the  shining  ones  of  Heaven  and  all  the  creatures  of  the  earth 
made  haste  to  touch  the  sacred  waters  that  wash  away  all  sin. 
Then  Bhaglratha  went  forward  on  his  car  and  Ganga 
followed ;  and  after  her  came  the  devas  and  rishis,  asuras, 
rakshasas,  gandharvas  and  yakshas,  kinnaras  and  nagas 
and  apsaras,  and  all  creatures  that  inhabit  water  went 
along  with  them.  But  as  Ganga  followed  Bhaglratha  she 
flooded  the  sacrificial  ground  of  the  puissant  Jahna,  and 
he  was  greatly  angered,  and  in  his  wrath  he  drank  up  all 
her  wondrous  waters.      Then   the  deities    besought  and 

x  321 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <8f  Buddhists 

prayed  him  to  set  her  free,  till  he  relented  and  released 
her  through  his  ears,  and  again  she  followed  Bhaglratha's 
car.  At  last  she  came  to  the  mighty  river  Ocean  and 
plunged  into  the  nether  regions ;  there  she  laved  the  heap 
of  ashes,  and  the  sixty  thousand  sons  of  Sagara  were 
cleansed  of  every  sin  and  attained  to  Heaven. 
Then  Brahma  spoke  to  Bhagiratha.  "  O  most  puissant  of 
men,"  he  said,  "  the  sons  of  Sagara  have  now  gone  up  to 
Heaven,  and  shall  endure  there  so  long  as  Ocean's  waters 
endure  on  earth.  Ganga  shall  be  called  thy  daughter  and 
receive  thy  name.  Now  do  thou  make  offerings  of  this 
sacred  water  for  thy  ancestors,  Sagara  and  Anshumat  and 
Dilipa,  and  do  thou  thyself  bathe  in  these  waters  and,  free 
from  every  sin,  ascend  to  Heaven,  whither  I  now  repair." 
"And,  O  Rama,"  said  Vishvamitra,  "I  have  now  related 
to  thee  the  tale  of  Ganga.  May  it  be  well  with  thee.  He 
that  recites  this  history  wins  fame,  long  life,  and  Heaven  ; 
he  that  heareth  attains  to  length  of  days,  and  the  fulfilment 
of  desires,  and  the  wiping  out  of  every  sin." 

Manasa  Devi 

Manasa  Devi  was  the  daughter  of  Shiva  by  a  beautiful 
mortal  woman.  She  was  no  favourite  of  her  step- 
mother, BhagavatI,  or  ParvatI,  Shiva's  wife ;  so  she  took 
up  her  abode  on  earth  with  another  daughter  of  Shiva, 
named  Neta.  Manasa  desired  to  receive  the  worship  due 
to  goddesses ;  she  knew  that  it  would  be  easy  to  obtain 
this  if  she  could  once  secure  the  devotion  of  a  very 
wealthy  and  powerful  merchant-prince  of  Champaka  Nagar, 
by  name  Chand  Sadagar.  For  a  long  time  she  tried  to 
persuade  him ;  but  he  was  a  stout  devotee  of  Shiva  him- 
self, whom  he  was  not  going  to  desert  for  a  goddess  of 
snakes.  For  Manasa  was  a  goddess  and  queen  of  serpents. 
322 


Manasa  Devi 

Chand  had  made  a  beautiful  garden  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  city,  a  veritable  earthly  paradise,  where  he  was  used  to 
eat  the  air  and  enjoy  the  flowers  every  evening.  The  first 
thing  Manasa  did  was  to  send  her  snakes  to  reduce  the 
garden  to  ashes.  But  as  Chand  had  received  from  Shiva 
himself  the  magic  power  of  restoring  the  dead  to  life,  it 
was  an  easy  matter  for  him  to  restore  the  garden  to  all  its 
beauty  by  merely  uttering  the  appropriate  charms.  Manasa 
next  appeared  to  Chand  in  the  shape  of  a  beautiful  girl,  so 
silvery  and  radiant  that  even  the  moon  hid  herself  behind 
the  clouds  when  she  saw  her.  Chand  fell  madly  in  love 
with  her,  but  she  would  not  hear  a  word  till  he  promised 
to  bestow  his  magic  power  upon  her;  and  when  he  did  so, 
she  vanished  away  and  appeared  in  the  sky  in  her  own 
form,  and  said  to  Chand  :  "This  is  not  by  chance,  nor  in 
the  course  of  nature.  But  even  now  worship  me,  and  I 
will  restore  your  power."  But  he  would  not  hear  of  it. 
Then  she  destroyed  the  garden  again.  But  Chand  now 
sent  for  his  friend  Shankara,  a  great  magician,  who  very 
soon  revived  the  flowers  and  trees  and  made  the  garden 
as  good  as  before.  Then  Manasa  managed  to  kill 
Shankara  by  guile,  and  destroyed  the  garden  a  third  time; 
and  now  there  was  no  remedy.  Every  time  one  of  these 
misfortunes  befell  Chand  she  whispered  in  his  ear :  "  It  is 
not  by  chance,"  &c. 

Then  she  sent  her  serpents  to  kill  every  one  of  his  six  sons ; 
at  the  death  of  each  she  whispered  the  same  message  in 
Chand's  ear,  saying :  "  Even  now  worship  me,  and  all  shall 
be  well."  Chand  was  an  obstinate  man,  and  sad  as  he 
was,  he  would  not  give  in.  On  the  contrary,  he  fitted  out 
his  ships  for  a  trading  voyage  and  set  forth.  He  was 
very  successful,  and  was  nearing  home,  with  a  load  of 
treasure   and   goods,   when   a   storm    fell   on   the   ships. 

323 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <S?  Buddhists 

Chand  at  once  prayed  to  Bhagavati,  the  wife  of  Shiva, 
and  she  protected  his  ship.  Manasa,  however,  represented 
to  her  father  that  this  was  not  fair.  "  Is  she  not  content 
with  banishing  me  from  Heaven,  but  must  also  interfere 
with  all  my  doings?"  So  Shiva  persuaded  his  wife  to 
return  to  Heaven  with  him.  He  began  by  swearing: 
"  By  the  heads  of  your  favourite  sons,  Ganesh  and 
Kartikkeya,  you    must    come  away   at   once,   Bhagavati, 


or " 


"Or  what?"  she  said. 

"  Well,  never  mind,"  he  replied ;  "  but,  my  dear,  you  should 
be  reasonable.  Is  it  not  fair  that  Manasa  should  have  her 
own  way  for  once?  After  all,  she  has  been  very  badly 
neglected,  and  you  can  afford  to  be  generous." 
So  Bhagavati  went  away  with  Shiva,  the  boat  sank,  and 
Chand  was  left  in  the  sea.  Manasa  had  no  intention  of 
letting  him  drown,  so  she  cast  her  lotus  throne  into  the 
water.  But  Manasa  had  another  name,  Padma,  and  this 
also  is  the  name  of  the  lotus ;  so  when  Chand  saw  that 
the  floating  object  by  which  he  was  going  to  save  himself 
was  actually  a. padma  he  left  it  alone,  preferring  drowning 
to  receiving  any  help  from  a  thing  bearing  the  hated  name 
of  his  enemy.  But  she  whispered :  "  Even  now  worship 
me,  and  all  will  be  well." 

Chand  would  have  been  quite  willing  to  die;  but  this 
would  not  suit  Manasa  at  all;  she  brought  him  ashore. 
Behold,  he  had  arrived  at  the  city  where  an  old  friend, 
Chandraketu,  had  his  home.  Here  he  was  very  kindly 
treated,  and  began  to  recover  a  little ;  but  very  soon  he 
discovered  that  Chandraketu  was  a  devotee  of  Manasa, 
and  that  her  temple  adjoined  the  house.  At  once  he 
departed,  throwing  away  even  the  garments  his  friend  had 
bestowed  upon  him. 

324 


Manasa  Devi 

He  begged  some  food,  and  going  down  to  the  river,  took 
his  bath.  But  while  he  was  bathing  Manasa  sent  a  large 
mouse,  who  ate  up  his  rice,  so  that  he  had  nothing  to  eat 
but  some  raw  plantain-skins  left  by  some  children  on  the 
river-bank.  Then  he  got  service  in  a  Brahman  family  as 
a  reaper  and  thresher  ;  but  Manasa  turned  his  head  so  that 
he  worked  quite  stupidly,  and  his  master  sent  him  off.  It 
was  a  very  long  time  before  he  found  his  way  back  to 
Champaka  Nagar,  and  he  hated  Manasa  Devi  more  than 
ever. 

Now  Manasa  had  two  great  friends,  apsaras  of  Indra's 
heaven.  They  made  up  their  minds  to  win  over 
the  obstinate  merchant.  One  was  to  be  reborn  as 
Chand's  son,  the  other  as  the  daughter  of  Saha,  a  mer- 
chant of  Nichhani  Nagar  and  an  acquaintance  of  Chand's. 
When  Chand  reached  home  he  found  his  wife  had  pre- 
sented him  with  a  beautiful  son  ;  and  when  the  time 
came  for  his  marriage  there  was  no  one  so  beautiful 
or  so  wealthy  as  Behula,  the  daughter  of  Saha.  Her 
face  was  like  an  open  lotus,  her  hair  fell  to  her  ankles, 
and  the  tips  of  it  ended  in  the  fairest  curls  ;  she  had  the 
eyes  of  a  deer  and  the  voice  of  a  nightingale,  and  she 
could  dance  better  than  any  dancing  girl  in  the  whole 
city  of  Champaka  Nagar. 

Unfortunately,  the  astrologers  predicted  that  Chand's 
son,  whose  name  was  Lakshmindara,  would  die  of  the 
bite  of  a  snake  on  the  night  of  his  marriage.  All  this 
time,  of  course,  the  two  apsaras  had  forgotten  their 
divine  nature,  and  only  thought  themselves  ordinary 
mortals  very  much  in  love;  also  they  were  both  devoted 
to  the  service  of  Manasa  Devi.  Chand's  wife  would  not 
allow  the  marriage  to  be  postponed,  so  Chand  had  to  go 
on  with  the  preparations,  though  he  was  quite  sure  that 

325 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

Manasa  was  going  to  have  her  own  way  in  the  matter. 
However,  he  had  a  steel  house  built,  taking  care  that  there 
were  no  cracks  in  it  large  enough  for  even  a  pin  to  enter. 
The  house  was  guarded  by  sentinels  with  drawn  swords  ; 
mungooses  and  peacocks  were  let  loose  in  the  park  around 
it,  and  every  one  knows  that  these  creatures  are  deadly 
enemies  of  snakes.  Besides  this,  charms  and  antidotes 
and  snake-poisons  were  strewn  in  every  corner. 
But  Manasa  appeared  to  the  craftsman  who  built  the  house 
and  threatened  to  kill  himself  and  all  his  family  if  he 
would  not  make  a  tiny  hole  in  the  steel  wall.  He  was 
very  unwilling  to  do  it,  for  he  said  he  could  not  betray  his 
employer ;  at  last  he  gave  in  from  sheer  fright,  and  made 
a  hole  the  size  of  a  hair,  hiding  the  opening  with  a  little 
powdered  charcoal. 

Then  the  marriage  day  came,  and  many  were  the  evil 
omens;  the  bridegroom's  crown  fell  off  his  head,  the  pole 
of  the  marriage  pavilion  broke,  Behula  accidentally  wiped 
off  the  marriage  mark  from  her  own  forehead  after  the 
ceremony  as  if  she  had  already  become  a  widow. 
At  last  the  ceremonies  were  all  over,  and  Lakshmindara 
and  Behula  were  left  alone  in  the  steel  house.  Behula  hid 
her  face  in  her  hands,  and  was  much  too  shy  to  look  at 
her  husband,  or  let  him  embrace  her;  and  he  was  so  tired 
by  the  long  fasting  and  ceremonies  of  the  marriage  that 
he  fell  asleep.  Behula  was  just  as  tired,  but  she  sat  near 
the  bed  and  watched,  for  it  seemed  to  her  too  good  to  be 
true  that  such  a  lovely  thing  as  Lakshmindara  could  be 
really  her  husband ;  he  seemed  to  her  like  an  enshrined 
god.  Suddenly  she  saw  an  opening  appear  in  the  steel 
wall,  and  a  great  snake  glided  in ;  for  some  of  Manasa's 
snakes  had  the  power  of  squeezing  themselves  into  the 
tiniest  space  and  expanding  again  at  will.  But  Behula 
26 


0 


:.': 


tie 


XXVII 

MANASA  DEVI 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar 
Page  326 


u 


.1 


, 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

the  door  of  the  room,  and  know  that  as  long  as  the  lamp 
burns  I  shall  still  hope  that  my  lord  may  be  restored  to  life." 
So  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  but  Behula  floated  away,  and 
very  soon  Champaka  Nagar  was  out  of  sight.  But  when 
she  passed  by  her  father's  house  her  five  brothers  were 
waiting,  and  they  tried  to  persuade  her  to  leave  the  dead 
body,  saying  that  though  she  was  a  widow  they  wanted  to 
have  her  back,  and  they  would  take  every  care  of  her  and 
make  her  very  happy.  But  she  said  she  could  not  bear  the 
idea  of  living  without  her  husband,  and  she  would  rather 
stay  even  with  his  dead  body  than  go  anywhere  else.  So 
she  floated  away  far  down  the  river.  It  was  not  very  long 
before  the  body  began  to  swell  and  decay;  still  Behula 
protected  it,  and  the  sight  of  this  inevitable  change  made 
her  quite  unconscious  of  her  own  sufferings.  She  floated 
past  village  after  village,  and  every  one  thought  she  was 
mad.  She  prayed  all  day  to  Manasa  Devi,  and  though  she 
did  not  restore  the  body  to  life,  still  the  goddess  protected 
it  from  storms  and  crocodiles,  and  sustained  Behula  with 
strength  and  courage. 

Behula  was  quite  resigned ;  she  felt  a  more  than  human 
power  in  herself.  She  seemed  to  know  that  so  much  faith 
and  love  could  not  be  in  vain.  Sometimes  she  saw  visions 
of  devils  who  tried  to  frighten  her,  sometimes  she  saw 
visions  of  angels  who  tempted  her  to  a  life  of  comfort  and 
safety ;  but  she  sat  quite  still  and  indifferent ;  she  went  on 
praying  for  the  life  of  her  husband. 

At  last  six  months  went  by,  and  the  raft  touched  ground 
just  where  Manasa's  friend  Neta  lived  by  the  river-side. 
She  was  washing  clothes,  but  Behula  could  see  by  the  glory 
about  her  head  that  she  was  no  mortal  woman.  A  beau- 
tiful little  boy  was  playing  near  her  and  spoiling  all  her 
work ;  suddenly  she  caught  hold  of  the  child  and  strangled 
328 


Manasa  Devi 

him,  and  laid  the  body  down  beside  her  and  went  on  with 
her  work.  But  when  the  sun  set  and  her  work  was  done, 
she  sprinkled  a  few  drops  of  water  over  him,  and  he  woke 
up  and  smiled  as  if  he  had  just  been  to  sleep.  Then  Behula 
landed  and  fell  at  the  washerwoman's  feet.  Neta  carried 
her  up  to  Heaven  to  see  if  the  gods  might  be  moved  to 
grant  her  prayer.  They  asked  her  to  dance,  and  she 
pleased  them  so  much  that  they  promised  her  to  bring  her 
husband  back  to  life  and  to  restore  all  Chand's  losses. 
But  Manasa  Devi  did  not  agree  to  this  until  Behula  under- 
took to  convert  her  father-in-law  and  persuade  him  to 
honour  and  worship  the  goddess.  Behula  promised. 
Then  Behula  and  Lakshmindara  set  out  on  their  way  home. 
After  a  long  time  they  came  to  her  father's  house,  and  they 
stopped  to  visit  her  father  and  mother.  But  they  would 
not  stay,  and  set  out  the  same  day  for  Champaka  Nagar. 
She  would  not  go  home,  however,  until  she  had  fulfilled 
her  promise  to  Manasa  Devi.  The  first  people  she  saw 
were  her  own  sisters-in-law,  who  had  come  to  the  river- 
bank  to  fetch  water.  She  had  disguised  herself  as  a  poor 
sweeper,  and  she  had  in  her  hand  a  beautiful  fan  on  which 
she  had  the  likeness  of  every  one  in  the  Chand  family  de- 
picted. She  showed  the  fan  to  the  sisters,  and  told  them  her 
name  was  Behula,  a  sweeper-girl,  daughter  of  Saha,  a 
sweeper,  and  wife  of  Lakshmindara,  son  of  the  sweeper 
Chand.  The  sisters  ran  home  to  show  the  fan  to  their  mother, 
and  told  her  its  price  was  a  lac  of  rupees.  Sanaka 
was  very  much  surprised,  but  she  thought  of  the  lamp  in 
the  steel  house,  and  when  she  ran  to  the  bridal-chamber 
that  had  been  shut  tight  for  a  year,  behold  the  lamp  was 
still  burning.  Then  she  ran  on  to  the  river-side,  and  there 
was  her  son  with  Behula.  But  Behula  said :  "  Dear  mother, 
here  is  your  son ;  but  we  cannot  come  home  till  my  father- 

329 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

in-law  agrees  to  worship  Manasa  Devi;  that  is  why  I 
brought  you  here  by  a  trick." 

Chand  was  not  able  to  resist  any  longer;  Manasa  Devi 
had  conquered.  He  worshipped  her  on  the  eleventh  day 
of  the  waning  moon  in  the  very  same  month.  It  is  true 
that  he  offered  flowers  with  his  left  hand,  and  turned  away 
his  face  from  the  image  of  Manasa;  but,  for  all  that,  she 
was  satisfied,  and  bestowed  on  him  wealth  and  prosperity 
and  happiness,  and  she  restored  his  friend  Shankara  to  life. 
Ever  since  then  Manasa  Devi's  claim  to  the  worship  of 
mortals  has  been  freely  admitted. 

Note  on  Manasa  Devi 

This  legend  of  Manasa  Devi,  the  goddess  of  snakes,  who 
must  be  as  old  as  theMykenean  stratum  in  Asiatic  culture, 
reflects  the  conflict  between  the  religion  of  Shiva  and  that 
of  feminine  local  deities  in  Bengal.  Afterwards  Manasa 
or  Padma  was  recognized  as  a  form  of  Shakti  (does  it  not 
say  in  the  Mahabharata  that  all  that  is  feminine  is  a  part 
of  Uma  ?),  and  her  worship  accepted  by  the  Shaivas.  She 
is  a  phase  of  the  mother-divinity  who  for  so  many  wor- 
shippers is  nearer  and  dearer  than  the  far-off  and  im- 
personal Shiva,  though  even  he,  in  these  popular  legends, 
is  treated  as  one  of  the  Olympians  with  quite  a  human 
character. 

"  In  the  month  of  Shravana  [July- August],"  writes  Babu 
Dinesh  Chandra  Sen,  "  the  villages  of  Lower  Bengal 
present  a  unique  scene.  This  is  the  time  when  Manasa 
Devi  is  worshipped.  Hundreds  of  men  in  Sylhet, 
Backergunge,  and  other  districts  throng  to  the  river-side 
to  recite  the  songs  of  Behula.  The  vigorous  boat-races 
attending  the  festivity  and  the  enthusiasm  that  charac- 
terizes the  recitation  of  these  songs  cannot  but  strike  an 
330 


The  Elephant  Sf  Crocodile 

observer  with  an  idea  of  their  vast  influence  over  the 
masses.  There  are  sometimes  a  hundred  oars  in  each  of 
the  long  narrow  boats,  the  rowers  singing  in  loud  chorus  as 
they  pull  them  with  all  their  might.  The  boats  move  with 
the  speed  of  an  arrow,  even  flying  past  the  river  steamers. 
These  festivities  of  Manasa  Puja  sometimes  occupy  a  whole 
month  .  .  .  how  widespread  is  the  popularity  of  these 
songs  in  Bengal  may  be  imagined  from  the  fact  that  the 
birthplace  of  Chand  Sadagar  is  claimed  by  no  less  than 
nine  districts  " — and  by  the  fact  that  the  Manasa  Mangal, 
or  Story  of  Manasa,  has  been  told  in  as  many  as  sixty 
versions  by  poets  whose  names  are  known,  dating  from 
the  twelfth  century  onward  to  the  present  day. 
"  It  must  be  remembered,"  adds  Dinesh  Babu,  "that  in  a 
country  where  women  commonly  courted  death  on  their 
husband's  funeral  pyre  this  story  of  Behula  may  be 
regarded  as  the  poet's  natural  tribute  at  the  feet  of  their 
ideal." 

The  Elephant  and  Crocodile 

There  dwelt  a  royal  elephant  on  the  slopes  of  Triple  Peak. 
He  wandered  through  the  forests  with  his  herd  of  wives. 
Fevered  with  the  juice  exuding  from  his  temples,  he 
plunged  one  day  into  a  lake  to  quench  his  thirst;  after 
drinking  deep,  he  took  water  in  his  trunk  and  gave  it  to 
his  wives  and  children.  But  just  then  an  angry  crocodile 
attacked  him,  and  the  two  struggled  for  an  endless  time, 
each  striving  to  draw  the  other  toward  himself.  Piteously 
the  elephants  trumpeted  from  the  bank,  but  they  could 
not  help.  At  last  the  royal  elephant  grew  weak,  but  the 
crocodile  was  not  yet  weary,  for  he  was  at  home  in  his 
own  element. 
Then  the  royal  elephant  prayed  ardently  and  with  devotion 

33i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

to  the  Adorable,  the  Supreme  Being;  at  once  came 
Vishnu,  seated  upon  Garuda,  attended  by  the  devas. 
He  drew  forth  the  crocodile  and  severed  its  neck  with  a 
cast  of  his  discus,  and  so  saved  the  royal  elephant. 
This  was  the  working  out  of  an  old  curse ;  the  elephant 
was  a  gandharva  who  in  another  life  had  cursed  a  rishi 
who  disturbed  him  at  play.  That  rishi  was  the  crocodile. 
By  another  rishi's  curse  the  gandharva  had  become  an 
elephant. 

The  elephant  of  the  story  stands  for  the  typical  human 
soul  of  our  age,  excited  by  desires;  given  over  too  much 
to  sensual  pleasure,  the  demon  would  have  carried  him 
away,  he  knew  not  where.  There  was  no  salvation  for 
him  until  he  called  on  Vishnu,  who  speedily  saves  all 
those  who  call  upon  him  with  devotion. 

Nachiketas  and  Yania 

There  was  a  cowherd  of  the  name  of  Vajashrava; 
desiring  a  gift  from  the  gods,  he  made  offerings  of  all  he 
owned.  But  the  kine  he  had  were  old,  yielding  no  milk 
and  worthless ;  not  such  as  might  buy  the  worshipper 
a  place  in  Heaven.  Vajashrava  had  a  son;  he  would 
have  his  father  make  a  worthier  offering.  To  his  sire  he 
spoke:  "To  which  god  wilt  thou  offer  me?"  "To 
Death  I  give  thee." 

Nachiketas  thought :  "  I  shall  be  neither  the  first  nor  last 
that  fares  to  Yama.  Yet  what  will  he  do  with  me? 
It  shall  be  with  me  as  with  others;  like  grass  a  man 
decays,  like  grass  he  springeth  up  again."  So  Nachiketas 
went  his  way  to  Death's  wide  home,  and  waited  there 
three  days ;  for  Death  was  on  a  journey.  When  Death 
returned  his  servants  said:  "A  Brahman  guest  burns  like 
a  fire ;  Nachiketas  waits  three  days  unwelcomed ;  do  thou 

332 


A 


■ 


:an 


■- 


■>: 


XXVIII 

YAM  A  AND  NACHIKETAS 

Nanda  Lal  Bosr 

Pa?e  332 


- 


,'* 


The  Story  of  Kacha  &  Devayanl 

"This  Self  is  not  obtainable  by  explanation,  nor  by  intel- 
lection, nor  by  much  hearkening  to  scripture;  whom  he 
chooses,  to  him  That  is  revealed.  But  he  that  knoweth 
that  all  things  are  Self,  for  him  what  grief,  what  delusion 
lingers,  knowing  all  things  are  That  One? 
"When  all  desires  that  linger  in  the  heart  are  driven 
forth,  then  mortal  is  made  immortal,  he  becometh 
Brahman. 

"  When  every  knot  of  the  heart  is  loose  then  doth  he  win 
immortal  Being.     Thus  far  the  teaching." 
Thus  having  learnt  the  wisdom  taught  by  Death,  and 
finding  Brahman,  Nachiketas  was  freed  from  death.    So 
verily  shall  he  be  free  who  knoweth  that  Supreme  Self. 

The  Story  of  Kacha  and  Devayanl 
Many  were  the  battles  of  old  between  the  gods  and 
demons,  for  each  desired  the  sovereignty  and  full 
possession  of  the  three  worlds.  The  devas  appointed 
Brihaspati  as  their  priest,  master  of  sacrificial  rites ;  the 
asuras,  Ushanas.  Between  these  two  great  Brahmans 
there  was  fierce  rivalry,  for  all  those  demons  that  were 
slain  in  battle  with  the  gods  were  brought  to  life  by 
Ushanas,  and  fought  again  another  day.  Many  also  were 
the  gods  slain  by  the  demons ;  but  Brihaspati  knew  not  the 
science  of  bringing  to  life  as  Ushanas  knew  it,  therefore 
the  gods  were  greatly  grieved.  They  went,  therefore,  to 
Brihaspati's  son  Kacha  and  asked  him  to  render  them  a 
great  service,  to  become  the  disciple  of  Ushanas  and  learn 
the  secret  of  bringing  to  life.  "Then  shalt  thou  share  with 
us  in  the  sacrificial  offerings.  Thou  mayst  easily  do  this, 
since  thou  art  younger  than  Ushanas,  and  it  is  therefore 
meet  that  thou  shouldst  serve  him.  Thou  mayst  also 
serve   his    daughter    Devayanl,  and    win   the   favour   of 

335 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

both.  From  Devayani  thou  shalt  surely  win  that  know- 
ledge," said  they.  "  So  be  it,"  answered  Kacha,  and  went 
his  way. 

To  Ushanas  he  said  :  "Receive  me  as  thy  disciple.  I  am 
the  son  of  Brihaspati,  and  my  name  is  Kacha.  Be  thou 
my  master,  and  I  shall  practise  restraint  for  a  thousand 
years."  Ushanas  welcomed  him,  and  the  vow  was  made. 
Then  Kacha  began  to  win  the  favour  of  Ushanas  and 
Devayani.  He  was  young,  and  sang  and  played  on 
divers  instruments;  and  she,  who  was  also  young,  was 
not  hard  to  please.  He  gave  her  flowers  and  fruits  and 
did  her  service.  She,  too,  with  songs  and  pleasant 
manners  served  him.  Thus  passed  five  hundred  years, 
half  of  the  time  appointed  in  the  vow. 
Then  Kacha's  purpose  became  known  to  the  demons,  and 
they  slew  him  in  wrath  in  a  lonely  part  of  the  forest,  where 
he  was  tending  his  master's  cows.  They  cut  his  body  in 
many  pieces  and  gave  it  to  the  wolves  and  jackals.  When 
twilight  came  the  cows  returned  to  the  fold  alone.  Then 
Devayani  said  to  her  father :  "  The  sun  has  set,  the  evening 
fire  is  lit,  the  cattle  have  returned  alone.  Kacha  has  not 
come;  he  is  either  lost  or  dead.  And,  O  father,  I  will 
not  live  without  him."  Then  Ushanas  said  :  "  I  will  bring 
him  to  life  by  saying:  '  Let  him  come,'  "  and  summoned 
him.  At  once  Kacha  appeared  before  his  master,  tearing 
the  bodies  of  the  wolves  that  had  devoured  him.  When 
Devayani  asked  him  what  had  hindered  his  return,  he 
answered  that  the  asuras  had  fallen  upon  him  in  the 
forest  and  given  his  body  to  the  wolves  and  jackals; 
"  but  brought  to  life  by  the  summons  of  Ushanas,  I  stand 
before  you  none  the  less." 

Again  it  befell  that  Kacha  was  in  the  forest,  seeking 
flowers  desired  by  Devayani,  and  the  demons  found  him 
336 


The  Story  of  Kacha  Sf  Devayani 

and  slew  him,  and  grinding  his  body  into  paste,  they  mixed 
it  with  the  waters  of  the  ocean.  As  before,  Devayani  told 
her  father  that  Kacha  had  not  returned,  and  Ushanas 
summoned  him,  so  that  he  appeared  whole  and  related  all 
that  had  befallen. 

A  third  time  he  was  slain,  and  the  asuras  burnt  his  flesh 
and  bones  to  ashes  and  mixed  the  ashes  with  the  wine 
that  Ushanas  drank,  for  in  those  days  the  Brahmans  yet 
drank  wine.  Then  Devayani  said  to  her  father  again: 
"O  father,  Kacha  has  gone  to  gather  flowers,  but  he 
comes  not  back.  Surely  he  is  lost  or  dead.  I  will  not 
live  without  him!"  Ushanas  answered:  "O  my  daughter, 
surely  Brihaspati's  son  has  gone  to  the  realm  of  the  dead. 
But  what  may  I  do,  for  though  I  bring  him  back  to  life,  he 
is  slain  again  and  again  ?  O  DevayanT,  do  not  grieve, 
do  not  cry.  Thou  shouldst  not  sorrow  for  a  mortal,  for 
thou  art  daily  worshipped  by  the  gods."  But  Devayani 
answered :  "  Why  should  I  not  grieve  for  the  son  of 
Brihaspati,  who  is  an  ocean  of  ascetic  virtue  ?  Kacha  was 
the  son  and  grandson  of  a  rishi.  He,  too,  kept  the  rule 
of  self-restraint,  and  was  ever  alert  and  skilful.  I  will 
starve  and  follow  him.     Fair  was   Kacha    and  dear  to 


me. 


Then  Ushanas  was  grieved  and  cried  out  against  the 
asuras,  who  slew  a  disciple  under  his  protection;  and  at 
Devayani's  prayer  he  began  to  summon  Kacha  back  from 
the  jaws  of  death.  But  he  answered  feebly  from  within 
his  master's  stomach:  "  Be  gentle  unto  me,  O  master;  I 
am  Kacha  that  serveth  thee.  Consider  me  as  thine  own 
son."  Ushanas  said  :  "  How,  O  Brahman,  earnest  thou  into 
my  stomach  ?  Forsooth,  I  shall  desert  the  asuras  and  join 
the  gods  ! "  Kacha  answered  :  "  Memory  is  mine  and  all 
the  virtue  of  my  discipline,  but  I  suffer  intolerable  pain. 

y  337 


Myth< 


ls  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

Slain  by  the  asuras  and  burnt  to  ashes,  I  was  mixed  with 
thy  wine." 

Then  Ushanas  said  to  DevayanI :  "  What  can  I  do  for 
thee,  for  it  is  by  my  death  that  Kacha  can  have  back  his 
life  ?  He  is  within  me,  and  may  not  come  forth  without 
the  tearing  of  my  stomach."  She  answered  :  "  Either 
evil  is  alike  to  me.  If  Kacha  dies,  I  will  not  live;  and  if 
thou  die,  I  also  die."  Then  Ushanas  said  to  Kacha : 
"Success  is  thine,  since  DevayanI  looks  on  thee  so  kindly. 
Receive,  therefore,  from  me  the  lore  of  Bringing-to-life, 
and  when  thou  comest  forth  from  me  thou  shalt  restore 
my  life  in  turn."  Then  Kacha  came  forth  from  the 
master's  stomach  like  the  full  moon  in  the  evening;  and 
seeing  his  teacher  lying  lifeless,  he  revived  him  by  the 
science  he  had  received  and  worshipped  him,  calling  him 
father  and  mother  as  the  giver  of  knowledge.  Thereafter 
Ushanas  decreed  that  no  Brahman  ever  should  drink  wine. 
Also  he  summoned  the  asuras,  and  announced  to  them : 
"Ye  foolish  demons,  know  that  Kacha  has  attained  his 
will.  Henceforth  he  shall  dwell  with  me.  He  who  has 
learnt  the  science  of  Bringing-to-life  is  even  as  Brahman 
himself."  The  demons  were  astonished,  and  departed  to 
their  homes;  but  Kacha  stayed  with  the  master  for  a 
thousand  years  until  the  time  came  for  him  to  return  to 
the  gods.  He  received  permission  from  Ushanas  to 
depart ;  but  DevayanI,  seeing  him  about  to  go,  said  to 
him  :  "Hear  me;  remember  my  affection  to  thee  during 
thy  vow  of  self-restraint;  now  the  time  thereof  is  ended, 
do  thou  set  thy  love  on  me  and  take  my  hand  according 
to  the  sacred  rites."  But  Kacha  answered  :  "  Behold,  I 
honour  thee  as  much  as,  nay  more  than,  even  thy  father ; 
dearer  than  life  thou  art,  my  master's  daughter.  Yet  thou 
shouldst  not  say  these  words  to  me."  She  answered  again  : 
338 


Note  on  Kacha  <8f  Devayani 

"Thou  art  likewise  my  father's  teacher's  son,  and  I  must 
honour  thee.  Recollect  my  affection  when  the  asuras  had 
slain  thee.  I  am  altogether  thine ;  do  not  abandon  me  with- 
out a  fault."  Kacha  replied  :  "  Tempt  me  not  to  sin  ;  be 
gentle  unto  me,  thou  of  fair  brows.  Where  thou  hast  been 
in  the  body  of  the  sage,  there  have  I  also  been :  thou  art 
my  sister.  Therefore  speak  not  thus.  Happy  days  we 
have  spent  together,  thou  slender-waisted ;  grant  me  leave 
to  go  to  my  home  now,  and  thy  blessing  that  my  journey 
may  be  safe.  Think  of  me  as  one  who  would  not  sin." 
Then  Devayani  cursed  him :  "  Since  thou  refusest  me,  thy 
knowledge  shall  be  fruitless." 

Kacha  answered :  "  I  have  refused  thee  only  because  thou 
art  my  master's  daughter  and  my  sister,  not  for  any  fault. 
Curse  me  if  thou  must,  though  I  deserve  it  not.  But  thou 
speakest  from  passion,  not  for  duty's  sake,  and  thy  wish 
shall  fail.  Behold  also,  no  rishi's  son  shall  wed  with  thee. 
Thou  sayest  that  my  knowledge  shall  bear  no  fruit;  be 
it  so,  but  in  him  it  shall  bear  fruit  to  whom  I  shall 
impart  it."  Then  Kacha  took  his  way  to  the  dwellings 
of  the  gods  and  was  greeted  by  Indra,  who  honoured  him, 
saying :  "  Great  is  the  boon  thou  hast  achieved  for  us ; 
be  thou  hereafter  a  sharer  in  the  sacrificial  offerings :  thy 
fame  shall  never  die." 
Thus  far  the  tale  of  Kacha  and  Devayani. 

Note  on  Kacha  and  Devayani 

Even  the  planets  must  sooner  or  later  have  shared  in  the 
general  process  of  the  spiritualizing  of  stellar  myths,  and 
a  significant  instance  seems  to  be  the  story  of  Devayani 
and  Kacha,  from  the  opening  volume  of  the  Mahabharata. 
Here  it  would  appear  that  we  have  a  very  ancient  frag- 
ment, for  as  a  poetic   episode  the   story  stands   loosely 

339 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

connected  with  an  archaic  genealogical  relation — not 
unlike  the  Semitic  account  of  Sara  and  Hagar — in  which 
appear  mixed  marriages  between  Brahmans  and  Kshatriyas, 
polygamy,  and  the  matriarchal  custom  and  ideal  of 
proposals  made  by  a  woman  held  binding  upon  the  man. 
All  these  features  of  the  legend  are  felt  by  the  final  editor 
to  be  highly  anomalous,  and  time  and  words  are  in- 
artistically  spent  in  arguments  for  their  justification  by 
the  characters  involved.  But  this  is  a  very  common 
feature  in  the  dressing-up  of  old  tales  to  take  a  place  in 
new  productions,  and  the  arguments  only  confirm  the 
perfect  naturalness  of  the  incidents  when  first  related.  How 
DevayanI,  the  daughter  of  the  planet  Shukra,1  of  Brahman 
rank,  became  the  ancestress  of  certain  royal  or  asura 
princes  and  tribes,  and  how  the  king  whom  she  wedded 
was  also  the  progenitor  of  three  other  purely  asura  races, 
or  dynasties — these  things  may  have  been  the  treasured 
pedigrees  of  families  and  clans.  From  a  national  point 
of  view  it  may  have  been  binding  on  the  annalist  to 
include  them  in  every  version  of  the  epic  chronicles.  As 
a  poet,  however,  the  point  that  interested  the  last  editor 
of  the  Mahabharata  was  a  matter  that  also  interests  us — 
a  romance  that  occurred  to  DevayanI  in  her  youth,  and 
stamped  her  as  a  daughter  of  the  planetary  order,  though 
wedded  to  a  king. 

The  mythos  comes  down  from  that  age  when  there  were 
constant  struggles  for  supremacy  between  the  gods  (devas) 
and  the  demons  (asuras).  Who  were  these  asuras  ?  Were 
they  long-established  inhabitants  of  India,  or  were  they 
new  invaders  from  the  North- West?  They  are  not 
classed  with  the  aboriginal  tribes,  it  is  to  be  marked,  or 

1  I.e.,  Venus,  masculine  in  Hindu  astrology.  Also  named  Ushanas, 
as  above. 

340 


Note  on  Kacha  <§f  DevayanI 

referred  to  as  Dasyus  or  slaves.  There  still  remain  in 
the  country  certain  ancient  metal-working  communities 
who  may  represent  these  asuras  in  blood,  as  they  certainly 
do  in  name.  And  the  name  of  Assyria  is  an  abiding 
witness  to  the  possibility  of  their  alien  origin.  In  any 
case  it  would  appear  as  an  accepted  fact,  from  the  story  of 
DevayanI,  that  the  asuras  were  proficients  in  magic.  It 
is  told  that  they  obtained  a  Brahman  to  act  as  their 
sacrificial  priest,  who  was  in  some  vague  way  an  embodi- 
ment of  Shukra,  the  planet  Venus.  The  gods,  on  the 
other  hand — meaning  perhaps  the  Aryans,  who  were 
Sanskrit-speaking — were  served  in  the  same  capacity  by  a 
Brahman  representing  the  influence  and  power  of  Brihaspati, 
or  Jupiter.  The  planetary  allusions  in  these  names  are 
confirmed  by  the  reproachful  statement  of  the  gods  that 
"Shukra  always  protects  the  asuras,  and  never  protects 
us,  their  opponents."  No  one  could  grumble  that  the 
archbishop  of  a  rival  people  did  not  protect  them.  But 
the  complaint  that  a  divinity  worshipped  by  both  sides  shed 
protecting  influences  on  one  alone  is  not  unreasonable. 
What  were  the  original  fragments  from  which  this  story 
was  drawn  ?  Was  the  whole  thing  a  genealogical  record, 
on  the  inclusion  of  which  in  a  national  history  certain 
tribes  and  clans  had  a  right  to  insist?  And  is  the  whole 
incident  of  DevayanI  and  Kacha  a  sheer  invention  of  the 
latest  editor  to  explain  what  had  in  his  time  become  the 
anomalous  tradition  of  the  marriage  of  DevayanI,  daughter 
of  a  Brahman,  to  Yayati,  of  the  royal  caste  ?  It  may  be 
so.  And  yet  as  against  this  we  have  that  statement,  so 
like  a  genuine  echo  from  the  past,  that  "  there  were  in 
former  times  frequent  contests  between  gods  and  demons 
for  the  possession  of  the  whole  Three  Worlds."  In 
bringing   about  the  highly  dovetailed   condition  of   the 

341 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§P  Buddhists 

story  as  it  now  stands  we  may  be  sure  that  the  latest 
poet  has  had  a  large  hand,  but  in  all  probability  the  parts 
themselves,  even  to  this  romance  of  Kacha  and  Devayanl, 
are  now  as  they  were  in  long-inherited  lore. 
The  latest  poet  feels  his  own  sentiment  as  much  outraged 
as  our  own  by  the  unwomanly  insistence  of  Devayanl  on 
the  acceptance  of  her  hand  by  Kacha.  But,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  tale  probably  came  down  to  him,  as  to  us,  from 
the  age  of  the  Matriarchate,  when  it  was  the  proper  thing 
for  a  man  to  become  a  member  of  his  wife's  kindred ;  and 
Devayanl,  in  the  first  inception  of  her  romance,  may  not 
have  striven  to  make  Kacha  her  husband  so  much  as  to 
pledge  him  to  remain  amongst  the  asuras.  Even  in  this 
she  was  prompted,  we  may  suppose,  more  by  the  desire  of 
preserving  the  magical  knowledge  of  her  people  from 
betrayal  than  by  personal  motives.  And  Kacha,  similarly, 
whatever  he  may  urge,  in  the  hands  of  his  latest  narrator, 
as  the  reason  of  his  refusal,  was  really  moved,  in  the 
earliest  version,  by  the  idea  that  this  is  the  last  and 
supreme  temptation  that  confronts  his  mission.  His  one 
duty  is,  in  his  own  eyes,  to  fulfil  the  task  as  he  undertook 
it  in  his  youth,  namely,  to  leave  the  demons  and  return  to 
the  gods  to  impart  to  them  the  knowledge  they  sent  him 
out  to  win.  And  finally,  the  story  in  this  its  completed 
presentment  bears  more  than  a  trace  of  that  poetizing  of 
the  planetary  influences  of  which  the  ancient  art  of  astrology 
may  be  regarded  as  the  perfected  blossom  and  fruit. 

Puriiravas  and  Urvashl 

There  was  a  king  by  name  Puriiravas.  Hunting  one  day 
in  the  Himalayas,  he  heard  a  cry  for  help;  two  apsaras  had 
been  carried  off  by  rakshasas  from  a  pleasure-party  in  the 
flowery  woods.    Puriiravas  pursued  and  rescued  them ;  they 

342 


Pururavas  &  Urvashi 

were  Urvashi  and  her  friend  Chitralekha.  He  prayed 
Urvashi  for  her  love ;  she  granted  it,  with  this  condition : 
"Thou  shalt  not  let  me  see  thee  naked." 
Long  she  dwelt  with  him,  and  time  came  when  she  would 
be  a  mother.  But  the  gandharvas,  who  are  the  friends 
and  companions  of  the  apsaras,  missed  their  fellow,  and 
they  said  together :  "  It  is  long,  indeed,  that  Urvashi 
dwells  with  men;  find  out  a  way  to  bring  her  back." 
They  were  agreed  upon  a  way  to  bring  her  back.  She 
had  a  ewe  with  two  small  lambs,  dear  pets  of  hers,  tied 
to  her  bed.  While  yet  Pururavas  lay  beside  his  darling 
the  gandharvas  carried  oft  a  lamb.  "Alas!"  she  cried, 
"  they  have  carried  off  my  pet  as  though  no  hero  and  no 
man  was  with  me."  Then  they  carried  off  the  second, 
and  Urvashi  made  the  same  complaint. 
Pururavas  thought :  "  How  can  that  be  a  place  without  a 
hero  and  without  a  man  where  I  am  found  ?  "  Naked,  he 
sprang  up  in  chase ;  too  long  he  thought  it  needed  to  put 
on  a  garment.  Then  the  gandharvas  filled  the  sky  with 
lightning  and  Urvashi  saw  him,  clear  as  day;  and,  indeed, 
at  once  she  vanished. 

The  sorry  king  wandered  all  over  Hindustan  wailing  for 
his  darling.  At  last  he  reached  a  lake  called  Anyata- 
plaksha.  There  he  saw  a  flock  of  swans ;  they  were  the 
apsaras,  with  Urvashi,  but  Pururavas  did  not  know 
them.  She  said :  "There  is  he  with  whom  I  dwelt."  The 
apsaras  said  together:  "Let  us  reveal  ourselves,"  and, 
"So  be  it,"  they  said  again.  Then  Pururavas  saw 
Urvashi  and  prayed  her  sorely :  "  O  dear  wife,  stay  and 
hear  me.  Unspoken  secrets  that  are  yours  and  mine  shall 
yield  no  joy;  stay  then,  and  let  us  talk  together."  But 
Urvashi  answered  :  "  What  have  I  to  do  to  speak  with 
thee?    I  have  departed  like  the  first  of  dawns.    Go  home 

343 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

again,  Pururavas.  I  am  like  the  very  wind  and  hard  to 
bind.  Thou  didst  break  the  covenant  between  us;  go  to 
thy  home  again,  for  I  am  hard  to  win." 
Then  Pururavas  grieved  and  cried:  "Then  shall  thy 
friend  and  fellow  rush  away  this  day,  upon  the  farthest 
journey  bent,  never  returning ;  death  will  he  seek,  and 
the  fierce  wolves  shall  have  him." 

UrvashI  answered :  "  Do  not  die,  Pururavas ;  do  not  rush 
away !  Let  not  the  cruel  wolves  devour  thee !  Take 
it  not  to  heart,  for  lo!  there  may  not  be  friendship  with 
any  woman ;  women's  hearts  are  as  hyenas'.  Go  to  thy 
home  again."  But  a  memory  came  into  her  mind  of 
her  life  with  him,  and  a  little  she  relented;  she  said  to 
Pururavas :  "  Come,  then,  on  the  last  night  of  the  year 
from  now ;  then  shalt  thou  stay  with  me  one  night,  and 
by  then,  too,  this  son  of  thine  shall  have  been  born." 
Pururavas  sought  her  on  the  last  night  of  the  year  :  there 
was  a  golden  palace,  and  the  gandharvas  cried  him, 
"Enter,"  and  they  sent  UrvashI  to  him.  She  said: 
"  When  morning  dawns  the  gandharvas  will  offer  thee  a 
boon,  and  thou  must  make  thy  choice."  "Choose  thou 
for  me,"  he  said,  and  she  replied :  "  Say,  '  Let  me  be  one  of 
your  very  selves.' " 

When  morning  came,  "  Let  me  be  one  of  your  very  selves," 
he  said.  But  they  answered  :  "  Forsooth  the  sacred  fire  burns 
not  upon  earth  which  could  make  a  man  as  one  of  us." 
They  gave  him  fire  in  a  dish  and  said  :  "  Sacrifice  therewith, 
and  thou  shalt  become  a  gandharva  like  ourselves."  He 
took  the  fire,  and  took  his  son,  and  went  his  way.  He  set 
down  the  fire  in  the  forest,  and  went  with  the  boy  to  his 
own  home.  When  he  returned,  "  Here  am  I  back,"  he 
said ;  but  lo !  the  fire  had  vanished.  What  had  been  the 
fire  was  an  Asvattha  tree;  and  what  the  dish,  a  Shami 
344 


He 


XXIX 

PURURAVAS 

Khitindra  Natii  Mazumdar 
Page  344 


«l 


. 


Savitrl 

husband."  So  saying,  he  turned  to  Savitrl,  commanding 
her  to  relate  all  that  had  befallen  her. 
Standing  with  folded  hands  before  the  king  and  sage,  she 
answered :  "  There  was  a  virtuous  king  of  the  Shalwas, 
Dyumatsena  by  name.  He  grew  blind ;  then  an  ancient  foe 
wrested  the  kingdom  from  his  hands,  and  he,  with  his  wife 
and  little  child,  went  forth  into  the  woods,  where  he 
practised  the  austerities  appropriate  to  the  hermit  life. 
The  child,  his  son,  grew  up  in  that  forest  hermitage.  He 
is  worthy  to  be  my  husband ;  him  have  I  accepted  in  my 
heart  as  lord." 

Then  Narada  exclaimed :  "  Greatly  amiss  has  Savitrl 
done  in  taking  for  her  lord  this  boy,  whose  name  is 
Satyavan ;  albeit  I  know  him  well,  and  he  excels  in  all 
good  qualities.  Even  as  a  child  he  took  delight  in  horses 
and  would  model  them  in  clay  or  draw  their  pictures ; 
wherefore  he  has  been  named  Horse-painter." 
The  king  asked  :  "  Has  this  Prince  Satyavan  intelligence, 
forgiveness,  courage,  energy?'  Narada  replied:  "In 
energy  he  is  like  the  sun,  in  wisdom  like  Brihaspati, 
brave  like  the  king  of  gods,  forgiving  as  the  earth  her- 
self. Eke  he  is  liberal,  truthful,  and  fair  to  look  upon?  " 
Then  the  king  inquired  again:  "Tell  me  now  what  are 
his  faults."  Narada  answered  :  "  He  hath  one  defect 
that  overwhelms  all  his  virtues,  and  that  fault  is  irre- 
mediable. It  is  fated  that  he  will  die  within  a  year." 
Then  the  king  addressed  his  daughter :  "  Do  thou,  O 
Savitrl,  fair  girl,  choose  for  thyself  another  lord  ;  for  thou 
hast  heard  the  words  of  Narada."  But  Savitrl  answered  : 
"  The  die  can  fall  but  once  ;  a  daughter  can  only  once  be 
given  away ;  once  only  may  it  be  said :  '  I  give  away ! ' 
Forsooth,  be  life  short  or  long,  be  he  virtuous  or  vicious, 
I   have  chosen  my  husband   once  for  all.      I   shall   not 

347 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

choose  twice.  A  thing  is  first  thought  of  in  the  heart, 
then  it  is  spoken,  then  it  is  done ;  my  mind  is  witness 
thereof."  Then  Narada  said  to  the  king :  "  Thy  daughter's 
heart  is  unwavering ;  she  may  not  be  turned  from  the  right 
way.  Moreover,  none  excelleth  Satyavan  in  virtue ;  the 
marriage  has  my  approval."  The  king,  with  folded  hands, 
answered  again :  "  Whatsoever  thou  dost  command  is  to 
be  done."  Narada  said  again  :  "  May  peace  attend  the  gift 
of  Savitri.  I  shall  now  go  on  my  ways  ;  be  it  well  with 
all " ;  and  therewith  he  ascended  again  to  Heaven. 
On  an  auspicious  day  King  Lord-of- Horses  with  Savitri 
fared  to  the  hermitage  of  Dyumatsena.  Entering  on  foot, 
he  found  the  royal  sage  seated  in  contemplation  beneath  a 
noble  tree ;  him  the  king  reverenced  duly,  with  presents 
meet  for  holy  men,  and  announced  the  purpose  of  his 
visit.  Dyumatsena  answered :  "  But  how  may  thy 
daughter,  delicately  nurtured,  lead  this  hard  forest  life 
with  us,  practising  austerity  and  following  the  rule  of 
hermits  ? "  The  king  replied  :  "  Thou  shouldst  not 
speak  such  words  to  us ;  for  my  daughter  knoweth,  like 
myself,  that  happiness  and  sorrow  come  and  go,  and 
neither  endures.  Thou  shouldst  not  disregard  my  offer." 
It  was  arranged  accordingly,  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
twice-born  sages  of  the  forest  hermitages  Savitri  was 
given  to  Satyavan.  When  her  father  had  departed  she 
laid  aside  her  jewels  and  garbed  herself  in  bark  and 
brown.  She  delighted  all  by  her  gentleness  and  self- 
denial,  her  generosity  and  sweet  speech.  But  the  words 
of  Narada  were  ever  present  in  her  mind. 
At  length  the  hour  appointed  for  the  death  of  Satyavan 
approached ;  when  he  had  but  four  days  more  to  live 
Savitri  fasted  day  and  night,  observing  the  penance  of 
"Three  Nights."  By  the  third  day  Savitri  was  faint  and 
348 


Savitri 

weak,  and  she  spent  the  last  unhappy  night  in  miserable 
reflections  on  her  husband's  coming  death.  In  the 
morning  she  fulfilled  the  usual  rites,  and  came  to  stand 
before  the  Brahmans  and  her  husband's  father  and  mother, 
and  they  for  her  helping  prayed  that  she  might  never 
be  a  widow. 

Satyavan   went    out  into   the  woods  with    axe  in  hand, 
suspecting  nothing,  to  bring  home  wood  for  the  sacrificial 
fire.     Savitri  prayed  to  go  with  him,  and  he  consented,  if 
his  parents]  also  permitted  it.     She  prayed  them  sweetly 
to  allow  it,  saying  that  she  could  not  bear  to  stay  behind 
and  that  she  desired  exceedingly  to  see  the  blossoming 
trees.     Dyumatsena    gave   her    leave,    saying :    "  Since 
Savitri  was  given  by  her  father  to  be  my  daughter-in-law 
I  cannot  remember  that  she  has  asked  for  anything  at  all. 
Now,  therefore,  let  her  prayer  be  granted.     But  do  not," 
he  added,  "  hinder  Satyavan's  sacred  labour." 
So  Savitri  departed  with  her  lord,  seeming  to  smile,  but 
heavy-hearted  ;    for,  remembering   Narada's  words,    she 
pictured    him    already  dead.     With    half  her  heart   she 
mourned,  expectant  of  his  end  ;  with  half  she  answered 
him  with  smiles,  as  they  passed  beside  the  sacred  streams 
and  goodly  trees.     Presently  he  fell  to  work,    and  as  he 
hewed  at  the  branches  of  a  mighty  tree  he  grew  sick  and 
faint,  and  came  to  his  wife  complaining  that  his   head 
was  racked  with  darting  pains  and  that  he  would  sleep 
awhile.    Savitri  sat  on  the  ground  and  laid  his  head  upon 
her  lap;  that  was  the  appointed  time  of  Satyavan's  death. 
Immediately  Savitri  beheld  a  shining  ruddy  deity,  dark 
and  red  of  eye  and  terrible  to  look  upon  ;  he  bore  a  noose 
in  his  hand.     He  stood  and  gazed  at  Satyavan.     Then 
Savitri  rose  and  asked  him  humbly  who  he  might  be  and 
what  he  sought  to  do.     "  I  am  Yama,  Lord  of  Death," 

349 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

he   answered,    "and  I    have  come  for  Satyavan,  whose 
appointed  span  of  life  is  ended."     So  saying,  Yama  drew 
forth  the  soul  from  Satyavan's  body,  bound  in  the  noose, 
and  altogether    helpless ;  therewith  he  departed  toward 
the  south,  leaving  the  body  cold  and  lifeless. 
Savitri   followed   close ;   but   Yama    said :    "  Desist,    O 
Savitri.     Return,  perform  thy  husband's    funeral    rites. 
Thou    mayst     come    no  farther."     But   she    answered : 
"  Whither  my  lord  is  brought  or  goeth  of  his  own  will 
I  shall  follow  ;  this  is  the  lasting  law.     The  way  is  open 
to  me  because  of  my  obedience  and  virtue.     Lo,  the  wise 
have    said    that  friendship  is  seven-paced.     Relying  on 
friendship   thus   contracted,  I    shall   say  thee   somewhat 
more.     Thou  dost  order  me  to  follow  another  rule  than 
that  of  wife;  thou  wouldst  make  of  me  a  widow,  follow- 
ing not  the  domestic  rule.    But  the  four  rules  are  for  those 
who  have    not   attained    their    purpose,    true    religious 
merit.     It  is   otherwise  with    me  ;    for  I  have   reached 
the    truth  by  fulfilment  of   the   duty    of    a   wife   alone. 
It  needs  not  to  make  of  me  a  widow."     Yama  replied : 
"  Thou  sayest  well,  and  well  thou  pleasest  me.     Ask  now 
a  boon,  whatsoever  thou  wilt,  except  thy  husband's  life." 
She  prayed  that  Dyumatsena  should  regain  his  sight  and 
health,    and   Yama   granted  it.     Still  Savitri  would  not 
return,  saying  that  she  would  follow  still  her  lord,  and, 
besides,  that  friendship  with  the  virtuous  must  ever  bear 
good  fruit.     Yama  admitted  the  truth  of  this,  and  granted 
her  another  boon ;    she  asked  that  her  father  should  regain 
his   kingdom.     Yama   gave   his  promise  that  it  should 
be  accomplished,  and  commanded  Savitri  to  return.     Still 
she  refused,  and  spoke  of  the  duty  of  the  great  and  good 
to  protect  and  aid  all  those  who  seek  their  help.     Yama 
then  granted  her  a  third  boon,  that  her  father  should  have 
350 


Savitri 

a  hundred  sons.  Still  Savitri  persisted.  "  Thou  art  called 
the  Lord  of  Justice,"  she  said,  "  and  men  ever  trust  the 
righteous ;  for  it  is  goodness  of  heart  alone  that  inspireth 
the  confidence  of  every  creature."  When  Yama  granted 
another  boon,  save  and  except  the  life  of  Satyavan, 
Savitri  prayed  for  a  hundred  sons  born  of  herself  and 
Satyavan.  Yama  replied:  "Thou  shalt,  O  lady,  obtain 
a  hundred  sons,  renowned  and  mighty,  giving  thee  great 
delight.  But  thou  hast  come  too  far ;  now  I  pray  thee  to 
return."  But  she  again  praised  the  righteous.  "  It  is  the 
righteous,"  she  said,  "who  support  the  earth  by  their 
austere  life;  they  protect  all."  Again  Yama  was  pro- 
pitiated by  Savitri's  edifying  words,  and  he  granted  another 
boon.  But  now  Savitri  answered  :  "  O  giver  of  honour, 
what  thou  hast  already  granted  cannot  come  to  pass 
without  union  with  my  husband ;  therefore  I  ask  his  life 
together  with  the  other  boons.  Without  him  I  am  but 
dead,  without  him  I  do  not  even  desire  happiness.  Thou 
hast  given  a  hundred  sons,  and  yet  dost  take  away  my 
lord,  without  whom  I  may  not  live.  I  ask  his  life,  that 
thy  words  may  be  accomplished." 

Then  Yama  yielded  and  gave  back  Satyavan,  promising 
him  prosperity  and  a  life  of  four  centuries,  and  descend- 
ants who  should  all  be  kings.  Granting  all  that  Savitri 
asked,  the  lord  of  the  ancestors  went  his  way.  Then 
Savitri  returned  to  Satyavan's  body,  and  she  lifted  his 
head  upon  her  lap;  behold,  he  came  to  life,  like  one 
returning  home  from  sojourn  in  a  strange  land.  "  I  have 
slept  overlong,"  he  said  ;  "  why  didst  thou  not  awake  me  ? 
Where  is  that  dark  being  who  would  have  carried  me 
away?"  Savitri  answered  :  "Thou  hast  slept  long.  Yama 
has  gone  his  way.  Thou  art  recovered;  rise,  if  thou 
canst,  for  night  is  falling." 

351 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ®P  Buddhists 

Then  those  two  returned,  walking  through  heavy  night 
along  the  forest  paths. 

Meanwhile  Dyumatsena  and  his  wife  and  all  the  sages 
remained  in  grief.  Yet  the  Brahmans  were  of  good  hope, 
for  they  deemed  that  Savitri's  virtue  must  avail  even 
against  fate,  and  they  gave  words  of  comfort  to  the  king. 
Moreover,  Dyumatsena  suddenly  regained  his  sight,  and 
all  took  this  for  an  omen  of  good  fortune,  betokening  the 
safety  of  Satyavan.  Then  Savitri  and  Satyavan  returned 
through  the  dark  night,  and  found  the  Brahmans  and  the 
king  seated  beside  the  fire.  Warm  was  their  welcome 
and  keen  the  questioning;  then  Savitri  related  all  that 
had  befallen,  and  all  saluted  her;  then,  forasmuch  as  it 
was  late,  all  went  to  their  own  abodes. 
Next  day  at  dawn  there  came  ambassadors  from  Shalwa 
to  say  that  the  usurper  had  been  slain,  and  the  people 
invited  Dyumatsena  to  return  and  be  again  their  king. 
So  he  returned  to  Shalwa  and  lived  long;  and  he  had 
a  hundred  sons.  Savitri  and  Satyavan  had  also  the 
hundred  sons  bestowed  by  Yama.  Thus  did  Savitri  by 
her  goodness  alone  raise  from  a  poor  estate  to  the  highest 
fortune  herself,  her  parents,  and  her  lord,  and  all  those 
descended  from  them. 

"And,"  said  Markandeya  to  Yudhishthira  "even  so 
shall  DraupadI  save  all  the  Pandavas." 

Shakuntald 

This  old  story,  best  known  to  English  readers  in  transla- 
tions of  Kalidasa's  play,  is  an  episode  of  the  Mahabharata, 
giving  an  account  of  Bharata  himself,  the  ancestor  of  the 
warring  princes  of  the  great  epic,  from  whom,  also,  the 
name  of  India,  "  Bharatvarsha,"  is  derived.  The  story  of 
Shakuntala  given  here  is  taken  almost  literally  from  the 
352 


Shakuntala 

Javanese  version  lately  published  by  D.  Van  Hinloopen 
Labberton — a  version  superior  in  directness  and  simplicity 
to  that  of  the  Sanskrit  Mahabharata,  and  as  a  story  (not 
of  course  as  a  play)  superior  to  Kalidasa's : 
There  was  a  raja,  Dushyanta,  whose  empire  extended  to 
the  shores  of  the  four  seas.     Nothing  wrong  was  done  in 
his  reign ;   goodness  prevailed,  because  of  his  example. 
One  day  he  was  hunting  in  the  Himalayan  forests,  and 
went  ever  deeper  and   deeper  into  the  woods;  there  he 
came  upon  a  hermitage,  with  a  garden  of  fair  flowers  and 
every  sort  of  fruits,  and  a  stream  of  clear  water.     There 
were  animals  of  every  kind ;  even  the  lions  and  tigers  were 
well  disposed,  for  the  peaceful  mind  of  the  hermit  con- 
strained them.     Birds  were  singing  on  every  bough,  and 
the  cries  of  monkeys  and  bears  rang  like  a  recitation  of 
Vedic  prayers,  delighting  the  king's  heart.      He  ordered 
his  followers   to   remain  behind,  for  he  desired  to  visit 
the  hermit  without  disturbing  his  peaceful  retreat.     The 
garden  was  empty ;  but  when  he  looked  into  the  house  he 
saw  a  beautiful  girl,  like  an  apsara  upon  earth.     She  bade 
him  welcome  and  offered  him  water  to  wash  his  feet  and 
rinse  his  mouth,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  for  guests. 
The  king  asked  her  whose  was  the  hermitage  and  why  it 
was  empty.     She  answered  :   "  By  leave  of  your  highness, 
it  is  the  hermitage  of  the  sage  Kanva.     He  has  gone  out 
to  gather  fuel  for  the  sacrificial    fire;  please,  Maharaja, 
wait  here  till  he  returns,  as  he  will  very  soon  come." 
While  the  maiden  was  speaking  the  king  was  struck  with 
love  of  her.      But  he  answered  with  a  question.  "  Pardon, 
fair  mother,"  he  said  ;  "  I  have  heard  of  the  saintly  Kanva. 
But  it  is  said  that  he  has  naught  to  do  with  women ;  in 
what  relation  do  you  stand  to  him  ?  "     The  hermit-maiden 
replied:    "By  leave  of  your  highness,  he  is  my  father; 


->  r  i 
3D0 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

and  as  to  the  way  in  which  that  came  to  pass,  here  is  a 
Brahman  guest  who  may  inform  you;  please  ask  him 
regarding  the  story  of  my  birth." 

The  Brahman  related  the  story  of  the  girl's  birth.  The 
great  yogi  Vishvamitra  was  once  a  king;  but  he  renounced 
his  royal  estate,  desiring  to  attain  the  same  spiritual 
dignity  as  Vashishtha.  He  practised  such  severe  penance 
that  Indra  himself  feared  that  his  kingdom  would  be  taken 
from  him.  So  he  called  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
dancers  in  heaven,  Menaka,  the  pearl  of  the  apsaras,  and 
dispatched  her  to  tempt  the  holy  man.  She  accepted  the 
mission,  after  reminding  Indra  that  Vishvamitra  was  a 
man  of  immense  occult  powers,  able  at  his  will  to  destroy 
the  Three  Worlds ;  to  which  he  replied  by  sending  with  her 
the  gods  Wind  and  Desire.  She  went  to  the  hermitage 
and  disported  herself  in  an  innocent  manner,  and  just 
when  Vishvamitra  glanced  toward  her  the  Wind  came  by 
and  revealed  her  loveliness,  and  at  the  same  time  the  god 
of  Desire  loosed  his  arrow  and  struck  him  to  the  heart,  so 
that  Vishvamitra  loved  the  apsara.  When  she  found 
herself  with  child  she  thought  her  work  was  done ;  she 
might  return  to  Heaven,  she  thought.  Away  she  went 
along  the  river  MalinI  and  up  into  the  Himalayas;  there 
she  bore  a  girl,  and  left  the  child  alone,  guarded  by  the 
birds,  and  came  again  to  Indra.  Kanva  found  the  child, 
attended  only  by  shakuni  birds;  therefore  he  named  her 
Shakuntala.  "This  Shakuntala,"  said  the  young  Brahman 
guest,  "is  the  same  hermit-maiden  that  gave  your  high- 
ness welcome." 

Dushyanta  spoke  again  to  the  girl:  "Well  born  thou 
art,"  he  said,  "  daughter  of  an  apsara  and  of  a  great  sage  ; 
do  thou,  fair  one,  become  my  bride,  by  the  rite  of  mutual 
consent."  But  she  would  not,  wishing  to  wait  till  Kanva 
354 


Shakuntala 

came ;  only  when  the  king  urged  her  overmuch  she  gave 
consent,  upon  the  condition  that  her  son  should  be  the 
heir-apparent  and  succeed  to  the  throne.  The  king 
agreed,  and  he  and  she  were  bound  by  the  gandharva 
rite  of  mutual  consent.  Then  the  king  departed  to  his 
city,  saying  he  would  send  for  Shakuntala  without  delay. 
Soon  Kanva  came,  but  Shakuntala  could  not  meet  him 
for  her  shyness;  but  he  knew  all  that  had  befallen  and 
came  to  her,  and  said  she  had  done  well,  and  foretold 
that  she  would  bear  an  emperor.  After  long  months  she 
bore  a  perfect  child,  a  fair  boy,  and  Kanva  performed 
the  Kshattriya  rite  for  him.  While  he  grew  up  he  was 
ever  with  the  hermit,  and  shared  a  little  of  his  power,  so 
that  he  was  able  to  subdue  every  wild  beast,  even  lions 
and  tigers  and  elephants,  and  he  won  the  name  of  All- 
tamer.  He  bore  the  birth-marks  of  an  emperor. 
But  all  this  time  no  message  came  from  King  Dushyanta. 
Then  Kanva  sent  Shakuntala  with  the  child  in  charge  of 
hermits  to  the  court ;  she  came  before  the  king  as  he  was 
giving  audience,  and  asked  him  to  proclaim  the  child 
his  heir-apparent.  He  replied  :  "  I  never  wedded  thee, 
O  shameless  hermit-girl !  Never  have  I  seen  thy  face 
before.  Dost  think  there  are  no  fair  girls  in  the  city, 
then  ?  Away,  and  do  not  ask  to  be  made  an  empress." 
She  returned  :  "  Ah,  king,  how  great  thy  pride !  But  thy 
saying  is  unworthy  of  thy  birth.  Thou  thinkest:  'None 
was  there  when  I  wedded  Shakuntala';  such  was  thy 
device.  But  know  that  the  divine  Self  who  dwelleth  in 
the  heart  was  there,  yea  and  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and  Wind 
and  Fire,  the  Sky,  the  Earth,  the  Waters,  and  the  Lord 
of  Death  were  there  besides ;  these  thirteen  witnesses, 
counting  the  Day  and  Night,  the  Twilights  and  the  Law, 
cannot  be  deceived,  but  are  aware  of  all  that  passes.     I 

355 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &P  Buddhists 

know  not  if  it  be  a  punishment  for  any  former  sin  that  I 
am  now  denied.  But  here  stands  thy  son  altogether  per- 
fect ;  yet  no  father  makes  him  happy !  Dost  thou  feel  no 
love  for  him  who  is  thine  own  flesh  and  so  like  thyself? 
Indeed  thy  heart  is  evil." 

"Ah,  Shakuntala,"  said  the  king,  "were  he  my  son  I 
should  be  glad.  But  see,  he  is  too  great ;  in  such  a  little 
time  no  child  could  have  grown  so  tall.  Do  not  make 
this  pretence  against  me,  but  depart."  But  as  the  king 
spoke  there  came  a  voice  from  Heaven.  "  Ho  !  Maha- 
raja," it  cried,  "  this  is  thy  child.  Shakuntala  has  spoken 
truth."  Then  Dushyanta  came  down  from  his  lion-throne 
and  took  All-tamer  in  his  arms ;  to  Shakuntala  he  spoke 
with  tears  :  "  Mother  Shakuntala,  I  was  indeed  glad  when 
I  saw  thee.  It  was  because  of  my  kingly  state  that  I 
denied  thee  ;  for  how  should  the  people  have  believed 
that  this  was  my  son  and  heir  ?  Now  the  voice  from 
Heaven  has  made  the  sonship  clear  to  all,  and  he  shall  sit 
upon  my  lion-throne  and  shall  come  after  me  as  the  pro- 
tector of  the  world,  and  his  name  shall  be  no  more  All- 
tamer,  but  shall  be  Bharata,  because  of  the  divine  voice"  ; 
and  he  prayed  Shakuntala  to  pardon  him ;  but  she  stood 
still  with  folded  hands  and  downcast  eyes,  too  glad  to 
answer,  and  too  shy,  now  that  all  was  well. 
Bharata's  prowess  is  the  cause  that  there  is  now  a  Bharat- 
land ;  the  history  thereof  is  told  in  the  Mahabharata. 

Nala  and  Damayanti 

There  was  once  a  young  king  of  Nishadha,  in  Central  India, 

whose  name  was  Nala.     In  a  neighbouring  country  called 

Vidarbha  there    reigned    another  king,   whose  daughter 

Damayanti  was   said  to  be  the    most   beautiful  girl    in 

the  world.     Nala  was  a  very   accomplished  youth,   well 

356 


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■-.■ 


XXX 

DAMAYANTl 

Khitindra  Nath  Mazumdar 
Page  356 


1 


■  '^•ASW 

f 

\ 

M    ■    M 

.,••' 


Nala  &  DamayantI 

cause,  yet  do  thou  remember  me  when  I  stand  before  thee 
suitor  on  my  own  behalf."  DamayantI  smiled  and 
answered  :  "  Yea,  thou  mayst  surely  without  sin  be  present 
at  the  Swayamvara,  though  the  gods  be  also  there ;  then 
will  I  choose  thee  for  my  lord,  nor  can  any  blame  attach 
to  thee  for  that."  Then  Nala  bowed,  and  turning  away, 
immediately  stood  before  the  gods,  and  to  them  he  reported 
all  truly  as  it  had  befallen.  "  As  for  what  remains,"  he 
said,  "  it  rests  with  thee,  O  chief  of  the  gods." 
The  day  of  the  Swayamvara  dawned.  Bhlma's  golden 
court  was  filled  with  the  lords  of  earth,  seated  in  state, 
shining  like  the  stars  in  Heaven,  strong  as  mountain 
lions,  fair  as  the  nagas,  multitudinous  as  the  serpents 
in  Bhogavatl.  Then  DamayantI  was  borne  in ;  beside  her 
walked  her  maidens  with  the  fateful  garland,  and  before 
her  went  SarasvatI  herself.  She  passed  before  the  rows  of 
suitors,  refusing  each  in  turn  as  his  name  and  style  were 
announced.  Then  she  beheld  five  noble  princes  seated 
together,  each  in  the  form  of  Nala.  DamayantI  beheld 
them  in  despair;  she  could  not  tell  which  one  was  Nala, 
nor  who  the  others  might  be.  She  could  not  distinguish 
the  gods  by  their  attributes,  for  they  had  laid  aside  their 
proper  shapes.  Long  was  the  silence  as  she  stood  before 
the  five,  until  she  bethought  her  to  approach  them  with 
humble  prayer,  for  not  even  gods  may  refuse  the  prayer 
of  the  good  and  virtuous.  "  O  ye  great  gods,"  she  said, 
"forasmuch  as  I  have  pledged  myself  to  Nala,  do  ye 
reveal  my  lord."  Even  as  she  prayed,  the  gods  assumed 
their  own  forms  and  attributes ;  shadowless,  with  unwink- 
ing eyes,  unfading  garlands,  not  touching  the  earth,  they 
stood  before  her.  But  Nala  stood  revealed  by  shadow, 
fading  garland,  and  perspiring  brow.  Then  DamayantI 
stooped  and  touched  the  hem  of  his  garment,  and  rose 

359 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &f  Buddhists 

and  cast  the  flower  garland  about  his  shoulders  amid  cries 
of  grief  from  the  rejected  suitors  and  of  applause  from 
gods  and  rishis.  Thus  did  DamayantI  choose  her  lord. 
Great  gifts  the  gods  bestowed  on  Nala,  and  took  their 
way  again  to  Heaven.  The  assembled  rajas  departed. 
Bhima  bestowed  his  daughter  upon  Nala ;  great  and  rich 
was  the  marriage  feast,  and  Nala  and  DamayantI  went  to 
their  home  in  Nishadha. 

There  was,  however,  a  demon  of  the  name  of  Kali,  the 
spirit  of  the  Fourth  Age,  who,  with  his  friend  Dvapara, 
failed  to  reach  the  Swayamvara  in  time.  Meeting  the 
gods  returning  from  Vidarbha,  Kali  learnt  from  them 
that  DamayantI  had  chosen  Nala.  His  wrath  knew  no 
bounds  that  a  mortal  should  have  been  preferred  to  a 
god.  Despite  the  dissuasion  of  the  gods,  he  determined 
to  avenge  himself  for  the  insult.  He  asked  his  friend 
Dvapara  to  enter  into  the  dice,  and  himself  watched  for 
an  opportunity  to  take  possession  of  the  king.  It  was 
twelve  long  years  before  a  slight  neglect  in  the  observance 
of  ceremonial  purity  placed  Nala  at  the  demon's  mercy. 
Kali  entered  into  him,  and  immediately  invited  Nala's 
brother  Pushkara  to  gamble  with  the  king.  When  he 
arrived  the  two  sat  down  to  the  game.  Nala  lost,  and 
lost  again.  Day  after  day  the  play  went  on  till  months 
had  passed.  In  vain  the  citizens  desired  audience,  in  vain 
the  queen  besought  her  lord  to  meet  his  ministers.  Soon 
the  royal  treasure  was  almost  spent,  but  still  Nala  gambled. 
Then  DamayantI  called  his  faithful  charioteer,  and  warning 
him  that  evil  days  were  at  hand,  she  sent  her  two  children 
away  with  him,  to  be  cared  for  by  dear  friends  in  Vidarbha. 
When  all  else  was  lost  Pushkara  asked  his  brother  to  cast 
the  dice  for  DamayantI ;  but  it  was  enough.  He  rose  and 
cast  off  his  jewels  and  his  crown,  and  took  his  way  out  of 


360 


Nala  &?  Damayanti 

the  city  where  he  had  been  king,  followed  by  Damayanti, 
clad  in  a  single  garment  like  her  lord.  Six  days  they 
wandered  thus,  while  Pushkara  usurped  the  kingdom. 
Then  Nala  saw  some  birds  and  would  have  caught  them 
for  food.  He  cast  his  single  garment  like  a  net  upon 
them,  but  they  rose  and  flew  away,  leaving  him  naked. 
As  they  rose  into  the  air  they  cried:  "Foolish  Nala,  we 
are  the  dice,  unsatisfied  if  thou  hast  even  a  single  garment 
left."  Then  the  miserable  king  turned  to  his  wife  and 
advised  her  to  leave  him  and  find  her  way  to  Vidarbha 
alone ;  but  she  replied :  "  How  can  I  leave  thee  alone  in 
the  wild  forest  ?  I  will  rather  serve  and  care  for  thee,  for 
there  is  no  helper  like  a  wife.  Or  let  us  rather  go  together 
to  Vidarbha,  and  my  father  will  give  us  welcome  there." 
But  Nala  refused;  he  would  not  return  in  poverty  to 
Vidarbha,  where  he  had  been  known  as  a  great  king. 
Thus  they  wandered,  speaking  of  their  unhappy  lot,  and 
coming  to  a  neglected  hut,  they  rested  on  the  ground,  and 
Damayanti  slept.  Then  Kali  wrought  in  Nala's  mind  to 
leave  his  wife;  it  seemed  to  him  best  for  her  and  for 
himself.  A  sword  lay  on  the  ground;  he  drew  it  forth 
and  severed  in  two  the  one  garment  worn  by  Damayanti, 
and  put  the  half  upon  himself.  Twice  he  left  the  hut  and 
twice  returned,  unable  to  leave  his  wife  behind,  and  again 
he  went  on  his  way,  drawn  by  Kali,  till  at  last  he  was 
far  away. 

When  Damayanti  woke  and  missed  her  lord  she  wept 
and  sobbed  with  grief  and  loneliness.  But  soon  she 
thought  of  him  more  than  herself,  and  bewailed  his  suffer- 
ings ;  and  she  prayed  that  he  who  brought  this  suffering 
upon  Nala  might  suffer  tenfold  more  himself.  Vainly  she 
sought  her  lord,  wandering  through  the  forest,  till  a 
great  serpent  seized  her.     Then  a  hunter  came  and  slew 

16 1 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <!§f  Buddhists 

the  snake  and  set  her  free,  and  asked  her  story.  She  told 
him  all  as  it  had  befallen  ;  but  he  gazed  on  her  beauty 
and  desired  her  for  himself.  Deep  was  her  anger  when 
she  saw  his  purpose,  and  she  cursed  him  by  an  act  of 
truth.  "As  I  am  true  to  Nala,"  she  said,  "so  may  this 
wicked  hunter  die  this  instant,"  and  he  fell  to  the  ground 
without  a  sound. 

Still  Damayanti  wandered  through  the  forest,  and  the 
wild  beasts  did  not  hurt  her ;  far  she  went,  weeping  for 
her  lord,  till  at  last  she  came  to  a  lonely  hermitage,  and 
bowed  to  the  holy  men.  They  welcomed  her  as  the  spirit 
of  the  forest  or  the  mountain ;  but  she  told  her  tale.  They 
answered  her  with  words  of  comfort  and  assurance  of 
reunion  with  her  lord.  But  no  sooner  had  they  spoken 
than  the  hermits  and  the  hermitage  vanished.  After  many 
days  she  met  with  a  merchants'  caravan  crossing  a  ford. 
They,  too,  welcomed  her  as  a  lady  of  the  forest  or  the  river 
till  she  told  her  tale.  The  merchants  answered  that  they 
were  bound  for  the  city  of  Subahu,  king  of  Shedi,  and  they 
took  the  weary  queen  into  their  company  and  went  on 
their  way.  That  very  night,  as  the  merchants  slept,  a  herd 
of  wild  elephants  broke  into  the  camp,  stampeded  all  the 
beasts,  and  killed  more  than  half  the  travellers.  Those 
who  survived  put  down  all  their  misfortune  to  the  strange 
woman  they  had  befriended,  and  they  would  have  killed 
her  if  she  had  not  fled  away  into  the  forest  again.  But  after 
many  days'  wandering  she  reached  the  capital  of  Shedi, 
and  stood  by  the  palace  gate  like  a  homeless  maniac, 
dirty,  untidy,  and  half-clad.  There  the  queen  of  Subahu 
saw  her  and  received  her  kindly.  When  she  told  her 
story,  the  queen  appointed  her  a  place  where  she  might 
live  in  seclusion,  seeing  none  but  holy  Brahmans,  who 
might  bring  news  of  her  husband. 
362 


Nala  {§P  DamayantT 

It  was  not  long  that  Nala  had  left  his  wife  when  he  beheld 
in  the  forest  a  blazing  fire,  from  the  midst  of  which  there 
came  a  voice  saying  :  "  Hurry,  O  Nala  ;  haste  to  help  me ; 
hurry."    He  ran  to  the  place  and  beheld  a  royal  naga  coiled 
upon  the  ground,  encircled  by  the  fire.     Said  the  snake : 
"  By  Narada's  curse,  I  am  encircled  by  this  fire  till  Nala 
rescues  me ;   I  am  a  king  of  serpents,  great  of  might  and 
wise  in  manifold  hidden  lore.    Save  thou  me,  and  I  shall  do 
much  for  thee."     Then  Nala  lifted  him,  who  could  not  move 
of  himself  because  of  Narada's  curse,  from  the  fiery  circle 
into  the  cool  forest,  bearing  him  ten  paces  from  the  fire. 
Suddenly  the  serpent  bit  him,  and  his  likeness  changed ; 
but  the  naga  assumed  his  own  royal  form.     Then  the  naga 
counselled    Nala :    "  I   have   by    my    poison   altered    thy 
appearance  that  men  may  know  thee  not.      This  is  for  the 
discomfiture  of  the  demon  by  whom  thou  art  possessed. 
Do  thou  fare  to  Ayodhya,  where  Rituparna  is  king ;  seek 
service  of  him  as  charioteer,  and  the  time  shall  come  when 
he  will  exchange  with  thee  his  skill   in   dice   for  thine 
in  driving.     Grieve  not,  for  all  that  was  thine  shall  be 
restored.     When  thou  wouldst   resume  thine  own  form, 
think  of  me  and  put  on  thee  this  tunic."    As  Nala  received 
the  magic  garment  the  naga  king  vanished  away. 
As  foretold,  so  it  befell ;  Nala  became  the  charioteer  of 
Rituparna.      Meanwhile    Bhlma's    messengers,   searching 
the  world  for  Nala  and  DamayantT,   found  the  queen  at 
Shedi's  capital  and  brought  her  home.  Again  she  sent  other 
Brahman  messengers  to  seek  for  Nala.     They  were  to 
search  the  whole  world,  asking  everywhere :  "  Where  art 
thou  gone,  O  gambler,  who  didst  leave  thy  wife  with  half 
a  dress;  why  dost  thou  leave  me  alone?"     If  any  made 
reply,  they  were  to  bring  news  forthwith.  When  they  came 
to  Ayodhya,  Nala,  now  become  the  charioteer  Vahuka, 

363 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

crooked-limbed  and  little  like  his  former  self,  made  answer 
to  the  Brahmans,  praising  the  faith  and  the  forgiveness  of 
women,  since  one  whose  husband  had  deserted  her  yet 
bore  no  malice,  but  sought  him  through  all  the  world.  This 
news  the  Brahmans  brought  to  Vidarbha.  Immediately 
DamayantI  sought  her  mother.  "Let  the  Brahman  who 
comes  from  Ayodhya,"  she  said,  "return  thither  at  once  to 
bring  my  lord.  Let  him  announce  before  Rituparna  that 
DamayantI,  knowing  not  whether  Nala  lives  or  not,  holds  a 
second  Szvayamvara,  and  will  wed  again  at  dawn  on  the 
morrow  of  the  day  when  he  delivers  the  message.  None 
but  Nala  may  drive  a  chariot  from  Ayodhya  to  Vidarbha 
in  a  single  day." 

When  Rituparna  heard  this  message  he  called  his 
charioteer  Vahuka  and  ordered  him  to  yoke  the  horses, 
for  he  would  reach  Vidarbha  ere  the  sun  set.  Vahuka 
obeyed  ;  but  he  said  to  himself :  "  Can  this  be  true,  or  is 
it  a  device  made  for  my  sake?  I  shall  learn  the  truth 
by  fulfilling  Rituparna's  will."  Like  the  wind  he  drove; 
once  when  the  king  let  fall  a  scarf  and  would  have  stayed 
to  recover  it,  Nala  answered  :  "  Nay,  time  presses,  and  the 
scarf  is  by  now  five  miles  behind  us."  The  king  wondered 
who  Vahuka  might  be ;  for  he  knew  no  driver  of  horse, 
save  Nala,  who  might  drive  so  fast  and  sure.  But 
Rituparna  had  another  gift,  the  gift  of  numbers;  as  they 
passed  a  mango-tree  he  said :  "  Behold,  one  hundred  fallen 
fruits,  and  upon  two  branches  a  thousand  and  ninety-five 
fruits  and  fifty  million  leaves."  At  once  Nala  stayed  the 
horses,  severed  the  branches,  and  counted  the  fruits ;  the 
number  was  exact.  Nala,  in  amazement,  asked  the  king 
the  secret  of  his  wisdom ;  he  answered  :  "  It  is  born  of  my 
skill  in  gaming."  Then  Nala  offered  to  exchange  his 
skill  in  driving  for  Rituparna's  knowledge  of  numbers ; 
364 


Nala  &  DamayantI 

and  it  was  agreed.     But  when  Nala  received  the  lore  of 
numbers  and  skill  at  dice,  immediately  Kali  left  him  and 
assumed  his  own  form.     The  demon  prayed  for  Nala's 
mercy,  since  he  had  suffered  so  long  from  the  serpent's 
poison;    and  he  promised  that  wheresoever  Nala's  name 
was  heard  the  dread  of  Kali  should  be  unknown.     Then 
the  demon,  spared  by  Nala's  grace,  entered  a  blasted  tree 
and  disappeared.     Then  Nala  was  glad,  being  freed  from 
his  enemy,  and  mounting  the  car  he  drove  yet  swifter  than 
before ;    by   nightfall    they    reached    Vidarbha,    and    the 
thunder     of    the     chariot-wheels    reached    the    ears    of 
DamayantI,    so    that    she   knew    that   Nala   was    come. 
"  If  this  be  not  Nala,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  die  to-morrow." 
Bhlma  welcomed  his  guest  and  asked  the  reason  of  his 
coming,  for  he  knew  nothing  of  Damayanti's  ruse  or  that 
Rituparna  had  come  for  his  daughter's  sake.     Rituparna, 
seeing  no  sign  of  a  Sivayamvara,  no  preparations  for  the 
royal  guest,  answered  his  host :   "  I  have  but  come,  great 
Bhlma,  to  give  my  salutations  unto  thee."     Bhlma  smiled, 
for  he  thought:  "Not  thus,  so  far  and  so  fast,  does  the 
king  of  Ayodhya  drive  for  so  small  a  matter."   But  he  let 
the  question  drop  and  courteously  appointed  chambers  and 
refreshment  for  the  weary  king.    Vahuka  led  the  horses  to 
the  stables,   dressed   them,  caressed  them,  and  sat  him 
down  on  the  chariot-seat. 

DamayantI  knew  not  what  to  think,  for,  though  she 
managed  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  car  as  it  arrived,  she 
saw  no  Nala.  Yet,  she  thought,  Nala  must  be  there  or 
Rituparna  must  have  learnt  his  skill.  She  sent  a  messenger 
to  the  charioteer,  making  many  inquiries  whether  he  knew 
aught  of  Nala.  Vahuka  answered:  "Only  Nala's  self  of 
Nala  knows,  and  Nala  will  of  himself  no  sign  betray." 
Then    the    messenger    again    repeated    the    Brahman's 

365 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  ftf  Buddhists 

question:    "Where  art  thou  gone,  O  gambler?"  and  in 
answer  Vahuka  praised  the  constancy  of  women  and  let 
fall  some  witness  to  his  true  self ;    and  the  messenger, 
marking  his  agitation,  returned  to  Damayantl.    She  sent 
the  messenger  again  to  keep  close  watch  on  the  charioteer ; 
she   commanded    that    no    service   should   be   done   for 
him,  no  water  fetched  or  fire  prepared.     The  messenger 
reported   that   the   charioteer    exhibited    divine   powers, 
commanding  the  elements,  fire  and  water,  as  he  would. 
Now  more  and  more  Damayantl  suspected  that  this  was 
Nala  in  disguise.      Sending   once    more,   she   bade   the 
messenger  bring  her  a  morsel  cooked  by  him ;  when  she 
tasted  it  she  knew  for  certain  that  none   but  Nala  had 
prepared  the  dish.    Then  she  sent  her  children,  Indrasena 
and  Indrasen;  when  the  charioteer  beheld  them  he   fell 
a-weeping,  so  like  he  thought  them  to  his  own  long-lost 
son  and  daughter.     Still  he  would  not  reveal  himself. 
Then  Damayantl  went  to  her  mother,  that  the  charioteer 
might  be  called  before  her,  and  it  was  done.     Much  was 
he  moved  to  see  her  whom  he  had  left  in  the  forest  long 
ago.      When  she  questioned  him  if  he  knew  naught  of 
Nala,  he  proclaimed   himself   and  said  that  the  gaming 
fever  and  the  desertion  of  his  wife  were  the  doing  of  Kali, 
not  himself.     "  But  how  mayst  thou,  noble  lady,  leaving 
thy  lord,  seek  another  husband  ?    For  thy  second  Sway  am- 
vara    is    proclaimed,    and    it    is    for    that    cause    that 
Rituparna  has  come  and  I."     Then  Damayantl  explained 
her   ruse   and    called  the  gods  to  witness  that   she  was 
faithful  to  the  uttermost;  and  a  voice  from  Heaven  pro- 
claimed :  "  It  is  the  truth,"  and  flowers  fell  from  the  sky 
and  celestial  music  was  heard.     Then  Nala  assumed  the 
magic  vest  and  his  own  form,  and  Damayantl  came  to  his 
arms ;  that  large-eyed  lady  found  her  lord  again. 


366 


The  Virtue  of  Compassion 

Great  were  the  joy  and  surprise  throughout  the  city  and 
the  palace  when  the  news  of  this  reunion  spread  abroad. 
Rituparna  departed  with  another  charioteer,  while  Nala 
remained  a  month  at  the  court  of  Vidarbha.  Then  Nala 
took  his  way  to  Nishadha,  and  came  before  his  brother 
Pushkara,  challenging  him  to  dice,  asking  him  to  contend 
again,  this  time  for  their  lives.  Pushkara  answered 
confidently :  "  Be  it  so ;  now,  at  last,  DamayantI  shall  be 
mine."  It  was  little  that  Nala  did  not  slay  him  in  his 
wrath;  but  he  took  the  dice  and  threw,  and  won,  and 
Pushkara  lost. 

Then  Nala  pardoned  his  evil-minded  brother  and  bestowed 
a  city  upon  him,  and  sent  him  forth  in  peace.  Nala  him- 
self, with  DamayantI,  ruled  in  Nishadha,  and  all  men  were 
happy. 

The  Virtue  of  Compassion 
Spoken  by  Bhlshma  to  Yudhishthira : 
There  lived  a  hunter  in  the  city  of  Benares.  He  set  forth 
in  search  of  antelopes,  taking  a  quiverful  of  poisoned 
arrows.  He  found  a  herd  deep  in  the  forest  and  sped  an 
arrow  toward  them;  but  he  missed  his  aim,  and  the 
poisoned  shaft  entered  a  great  forest  tree.  Hurt  by  the 
deadly  poison,  the  great  tree  withered  and  shed  its  leaves 
and  fruits.  But  a  certain  saintly  parrot  had  dwelt  all  its 
life  in  a  hollow  of  its  trunk,  sheltered  by  the  forest  lord, 
and  though  the  tree  was  now  withered,  he  would  not 
leave  his  nest,  such  was  his  love  toward  it.  Silent  and 
sorrowful,  motionless  and  without  food,  the  grateful  and 
virtuous  parrot  withered  with  the  tree. 
Indra's  throne  grew  hot;  looking  down  on  earth,  he 
marvelled  at  the  devotion  and  extraordinary  resolution  of 
the  noble  bird,  faithful  alike   in  happiness  and   sorrow. 

367 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

"  How,"  he  reflected,  "can  this  bird  possess  such  feelings, 
that  are  not  found  in  lower  creatures  ?  Yet,  maybe,  it  is 
not  so  strange,  for  every  creature  is  kind  and  generous  to 
others."  Then,  to  test  the  matter  further,  Indra  assumed 
the  shape  of  a  holy  Brahman  and  approached  the  tree. 
"Good  bird,"  he  said,  "why  dost  thou  not  desert  this 
withered  tree?"  The  parrot  bowed  and  answered: 
"  Welcome  to  thee,  king  of  the  gods ;  by  the  merit  of  my 
discipline,  I  know  thee."  "Well  done!"  exclaimed  the 
thousand-eyed  deity,  marvelling  at  the  bird's  wisdom. 
Then  he  inquired  again :  "Why  dost  thou  cling  to  this 
leafless  tree,  unfit  to  shelter  any  bird  ?  Do  thou  forsake  it 
and  choose  another,  for  there  are  many  fair  trees  in  the 
forest  round  about." 

Then  the  parrot  sighed :  "  I  am  thy  servant.  Lo,  the 
reason  of  this  matter :  Here  in  this  very  tree  I  came  to  life ; 
here  I  learnt  all  of  wisdom  that  I  have ;  here  was  I  protected 
from  every  enemy.  Why  dost  thou  seek  to  turn  me  from 
my  path,  for  I  am  compassionate  and  grateful  ?  Do  not 
advise  me  to  leave  the  tree;  while  it  lived  it  was  my 
protector;  how  can  I  forsake  it  now?"  Then  Indra  was 
well  pleased,  and  bestowed  a  boon  at  will  upon  the  virtuous 
bird.  This  boon  the  parrot  sought :  "  Let  the  tree  revive." 
Then  Indra  sprinkled  it  with  the  water-of-life,  and  it  was 
filled  with  sap  and  put  forth  leaves  and  blossoms. 
Thus  was  the  tree  restored  by  virtue  of  the  parrot's 
merit,  and  he,  too,  at  the  close  of  life,  obtained  a  place  in 
Indra's  heaven.  Thus  do  men  obtain  what  they  will  by 
friendship  with  the  virtuous  and  holy,  even  as  the  tree  by 
friendship  with  the  parrot. 


368 


The  King  the  Pigeon  &*  the  Hawk 

The  King,  the  Pigeon,  and  the  Hawk 
Spoken  by  Bhlshma  to  Yudhishthira  : 
Once  on  a  time  a  beautiful  pigeon,  followed  by  a  hawk, 
dropped  from  the  sky  and  sought  protection  from  King 
Vrishadarbha  of  Benares.     The  single-minded  king,  seeing 
the  pigeon's  terror,  said  to  it :  "  Be  comforted,  good  bird. 
How  comes   it   that  thou  art  wellnigh  dead  with  fear? 
Thou  art  so  beautiful,  thy  colour  like  a  fresh-blown  blue 
lotus,  thy  eyes  like  the  flower  of  an  ashoka-tree  !     Fear 
not ;  for  none  need  fear  who  seek  protection  here.     For 
thy  protection  I  will  surrender  all  my  kingdom ;  yea,  if 
need  be,  life  itself.  Be  comforted,  my  pigeon." 
But  the  hawk  took  up  the  king's  words.     "This  bird,"  he 
said,  "  is  my  appointed  food.     Thou  shouldst  not  protect 
my  lawful  prey,  won  by  hard  endeavour.     O  king,  hunger 
is  gnawing  at  my  stomach.    The  pigeon  is  my  lawful  prey, 
and  bears  the  mark  of  my  talons  on  his  body.     Thou  hast 
the  right  to  intervene  when  human  beings  fight ;  but  what 
lawful  power  hast  thou  over  the  birds  that  range  the  sky  ? 
Or,  if  thou  seekest  to  earn   religious  merit  by  granting 
thy  protection  to  the  pigeon,  have  regard  also  to  me,  who 
am  like  to  die  of  hunger."     Then  said  the  king:   "  So  be 
it ;  let  a  bull  or  boar  or  deer  be  dressed  for  thee,  for  thou 
shalt  not  have  the  bird."     But  the  hawk  replied  :  "  I  do  not 
eat  the  flesh  of  bulls  or  boars  or  deer.     Pigeons  are  my 
appointed  food.     But,  O   great  king,  if  thou  hast  such 
affection  for  the  pigeon,  give  flesh  from  thine  own  body 
equal  to  the  pigeon's  weight." 

Vrishadarbha  answered:  "Great  is  thy  kindness  in 
suggesting  this  to  me.  Yea,  what  thou  sayest  shall  be 
done."  Saying  this,  the  king  began  to  cut  away  his 
own  flesh  and  to  weigh  it  in  a  scale  against  the  pigeon. 

2  a  369 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  Sf  Buddhists 

Meanwhile  the  gold-decked  queens  and  the  ministers  and 
servants  raised  a  bitter  wail  of  grief,  that  rose  from  the 
palace  like  the  sound  of  roaring  clouds.  Also  the  earth 
quaked  because  of  that  act  of  truth.  But  the  king  cut 
flesh  from  his  arms  and  thighs,  filling  the  scale  in  vain ; 
for  the  bird  weighed  heavier  and  heavier  against  the  flesh. 
Then,  when  the  king  was  nothing  but  a  skeleton,  he 
desired  to  give  his  whole  body,  and  stepped  himself  into 
the  scale. 

Then  there  appeared  the  gods,  headed  by  Indra,  and  the 
sound  of  heavenly  music  was  heard ;  a  shower  of  nectar 
fell  on  the  king  whereby  all  his  body  was  restored. 
Heavenly  flowers  fell  from  the  sky,  and  the  gandharvas 
and  apsaras  danced  and  sang;  there  came  a  splendid 
car,  and  when  the  king  was  seated  it  bore  him  away  to 
Heaven. 

"And,  O  Yudhishthira,"  said  Bhishma,  "whosoever 
protects  another  shall  certainly  attain  the  same  good  end. 
And  he  who  tells  this  story  shall  be  cleansed  of  every  sin, 
and  he  also  that  hears  it." 

The  Worth  of  Kine 
Spoken  by  Bhishma  to  Yudhishthira  : 
Once  there  was  a  great  rishi  named  Chyavana.  He 
followed  the  Udvasa  rule  for  twelve  years  in  the  forest, 
free  from  pride  and  anger,  joy  and  grief.  He  inspired  all 
creatures  with  happy  trust,  not  only  those  who  live  on 
land,  but  even  those  of  the  water;  the  great  sage  was  as 
mild  to  all  as  is  the  gentle  moon.  This  was  the  vow  that 
he  observed :  Entering  the  water  at  the  confluence  of 
Jamna  and  Ganges,  there  he  stood  like  a  lifeless  wooden 
post,  bending  forward  and  bearing  on  his  head  the  fierce 
and  roaring  current  of  the  united  streams,  swift  as  the 
37o 


The  Worth  of  Kine 

wind  itself.  Sometimes  he  laid  himself  down  in  the 
water  and  slept  at  ease.  All  creatures  in  the  water  came 
to  look  upon  him  as  their  friend,  and  used  to  come  to 
smell  his  lips. 

One  day  there  came  some  fishermen  with  nets,  bent 
on  catching  fish.  Well-knit,  broad-chested,  strong,  and 
fearless,  they  lived  on  the  earnings  of  their  nets.  They 
cast  into  the  rivers  a  net  of  new  string,  large  and  wide, 
and  then,  walking  into  the  water,  dragged  the  net  with 
great  force;  each  of  them  was  bold  and  cheerful  and 
resolved  to  act  according  to  the  others'  bidding.  Many 
were  the  fish  they  caught,  and  with  them  they  dragged  up 
Chyavana  himself.  His  body  was  overgrown  with  river- 
weeds,  his  beard  and  matted  locks  were  green;  shells 
had  fastened  themselves  upon  him.  When  the  fishermen 
beheld  the  great  sage  they  worshipped  him  with  folded 
hands  and  bowed  down  to  the  ground ;  but  the  fishes, 
caught  in  the  net  and  dragged  to  land,  were  dying,  and 
the  rishi  was  filled  with  pity  and  sighed  hard. 
The  fishermen  asked  what  they  might  do  to  atone  for  their 
sin  in  dragging  up  the  sage.  He  answered :  "  Hear  and 
obey  my  will.  I  shall  either  die  here  with  the  fishes, 
or  do  ye  sell  me  with  them ;  for  I  will  not  abandon  them 
in  such  a  case."  The  fishermen  were  terrified,  but  with 
pale  faces  they  took  the  fishes  and  the  rishi  and  went 
to  King  Nahusha.  He  addressed  the  sage  with  folded 
hands  and  obedient  mien.  Chyavana  said  :  "These  men 
are  weary  with  their  labour;  do  thou  pay  them  the  value 
of  the  fish  and  the  price  that  may  be  set  on  me." 
Nahusha  offered  a  thousand  coins.  Chyavana  said  :  "  A 
thousand  coins  are  not  my  price.  Pay  what  is  fair, 
according  to  thine  own  judgment."  Nahusha  offered 
a    hundred    thousand,    and    a    million;    then    half    his 

37i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  @f  Buddhists 

kingdom,  then  the  whole ;  but  the  rishi  declared  all  too 
little.  Then  Nahusha  was  stricken  with  grief;  but  there 
came  a  wild  hermit  from  the  woods  who  lived  on  roots 
and  fruit;  he  said  to  the  king:  "  I  shall  satisfy  both  thee 
and  the  rishi  too;  do  what  I  bid,  for  I  never  speak 
in  vain."  Then  said  Nahusha :  "  Name  the  sage's  price ; 
save  me  in  this  case,  save  my  kingdom  and  my  race;  for 
Chyavana,  if  he  be  angered,  will  destroy  the  Three  Worlds, 
much  more  myself  and  all  my  land.  Be  thou  our  raft 
across  the  stormy  sea." 

Then  said  the  yogi :  "  The  Brahmans,  O  king,  are  foremost 
of  the  four  estates  of  men;  no  value  can  be  set  upon 
them,  however  great,  for  their  value  is  beyond  telling. 
But  kine  also  are  of  infinite  value ;  therefore,  O  lord  of 
men,  thou  shouldst  offer  a  cow  in  payment  for  the  rishi." 
Then  was  Nahusha  glad,  and  offered  a  cow  in  payment  for 
Chyavana.  The  rishi  was  appeased  and  said  :  "  Yea,  O 
king,  now  hast  thou  bought  me  at  a  fair  price,  for  I  know 
no  wealth  exceeding  that  of  kine.  Even  to  speak  of  kine 
or  hear  them  spoken  of  is  a  thing  that  cleanses  from 
all  sin.  Kine  are  faultless,  the  source  and  root  of  all 
prosperity,  the  chief  ministrants  at  sacrifices,  worshipped 
by  every  world,  full  of  energy  and  givers  of  joy ;  sinless  is 
that  land  where  kine  are  glad.  Kine  are  the  stairs  that 
lead  to  Heaven ;  they  are  adored  in  Heaven  itself." 
Then  the  fishermen  bestowed  that  cow  upon  the  sage 
himself  and  worshipped  him,  who  in  energy  was  like 
a  blazing  fire ;  and  he  gave  his  blessing  to  them,  accepting 
their  offering.  "Go  ye  to  Heaven  forthwith,"  said  he, 
"  and  the  fishes  too."  Greatly  marvelled  King  Nahusha 
when  he  saw  the  fishermen  ascend  to  Heaven  with  the 
fishes.  Then  the  two  rishis  bestowed  on  him  numerous 
boons,  until  he  cried :  "  Enough  !  "  Then  he  worshipped 
372 


Gautama's  Elephant 

them,  and  each  returned  to  his  own  place.  Such  are 
the  holiness  and  worth  of  kine. 

Gautama  s  Elephant 

The  following  story  was  related  by  Bhlshma  to  Yudhish- 
thira  in  order  to  acquaint  him  with  the  various  states 
enjoyed  by  good  men  after  death : 

There  was  a  mild  and  self-restrained  sage,  named  Gautama, 
dwelling  in  a  forest  hermitage.  He  found  a  baby  elephant 
that  had  lost  its  mother  and  was  very  sad.  The  good 
sage  nursed  it  till  the  little  beast  grew  into  a  large  and 
mighty  elephant. 

One  day  Indra  beheld  the  great  creature,  huge  as  any 
mountain,  and  he  took  the  form  of  the  king  Dhritarashtra, 
and  seized  the  elephant  and  was  taking  him  away. 
Then  Gautama  addressed  him  :  "Thankless  king,  do  not 
take  my  elephant,  who  brings  me  fuel  and  water,  who  guards 
my  hermitage  when  lam  away,  who  is  gentle  and  obedient, 
and  very  dear  to  me."  Dhritarashtra  offered  him  a  hundred 
kine  and  maidservants  and  gold  and  gems.  But  what 
did  the  hermit  want  with  wealth?  Dhritarashtra  argued 
that  elephants  were  royal  animals,  fit  for  the  service  of 
kings,  and  would  have  gone  his  way,  taking  the  elephant. 
But  said  Gautama:  "Though  thou  goest  unto  Yama's 
land,  I  shall  take  back  my  elephant  from  thee."  The 
king  replied  :  "They  go  to  Yama's  land  who  are  unbelievers 
and  sinful,  and  devoted  to  the  gratification  of  their  senses." 
Gautama  answered  :  "  In  Yama's  land  is  truth,  and  there 
the  weak  may  overcome  the  strong."  But  the  king 
replied  :  "  None  but  the  sinful  go  to  Yama ;  I  shall  reach 
a  higher  place."  Gautama  answered:  "Though  thou 
goest  to  Vaishravana's  realm,  where  dwell  the  gand- 
harvas  and  the  apsaras,  I  shall  take  back  my  elephant." 

373 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &?  Buddhists 

Dhritarashtra  answered:  "Well,  I  shall  seek  a  place 
yet  higher."  Gautama  said :  "  If  thou  goest  to  the 
summit  of  Mount  Meru,  where  the  flowery  woods  are 
echoing  with  the  song  of  kinnaras,  I  shall  yet  pursue  and 
take  my  elephant  again." 

So  was  it  said  by  each  of  every  higher  place :  the  flowery 
groves  of  Narada,  resort  of  all  who  are  given  over  to 
dancing  and  to  music ;  the  perfumed  land  of  Soma ;  the 
heavens  of  Indra  with  the  apsaras;  the  heavens  of  the 
rishis;  theheavensof  Brahma.  ",There,"  said  Dhritarashtra, 
"thou  mayst  not  discover  me."  "Even  there,"  replied 
Gautama,  "  I  shall  find  thee  out  and  take  my  elephant. 
But  now  I  know  thee.  Thou  art  Indra,  wont  to  wander 
through  the  universe  in  divers  shapes.  Pardon  my  missay- 
ing  thee,  and  that  I  knew  thee  not." 
Then  was  Indra  pleased  that  Gautama  knew  him,  and 
bestowed  on  him  a  boon.  Gautama  asked  that  the 
elephant  should  be  restored,  for,  he  said  :  "  It  is  so  young; 
it  is  only  ten  years  old.  I  have  brought  it  up  as  my  own 
child.  It  has  been  my  dear  companion  in  these  woods." 
Indra  answered:  "  Lo,  the  elephant  that  has  been  so  dear 
comes  toward  thee  and  bows  his  head  down  to  thy  feet. 
Be  it  well  with  thee."  Then  Gautama  bowed  to  the  king 
of  gods  and  took  the  elephant.  But  Indra  blessed  him 
and  took  him  with  himself  and  with  the  elephant  to 
Heaven,  where  even  the  righteous  hardly  go. 
He  also  who  tells  or  hears  this  tale  shall  reach  the  same 
place. 

The  Throne  of  Vikramdditya 

Indian  legend  has  attached  great  sanctity  and  fame  of 
wisdom  to  the  name  of  Vikramaditya,  who  is  historically 
a    somewhat    shadowy   king,    generally   identified    with 

374 


The  Throne  of  Vikramaditya 

Chandragupta  II  (a.d.  375-413);  but  perhaps  the 
Vikramaditya  of  this  story  was  an  older  than  he.  At  any 
rate  it  so  fell  out  that  in  the  time  of  a  later  king  the 
ancient  throne  of  Vikramaditya  was  discovered  near  what 
had  been  the  old  city  of  Ujjayini.  The  king  had  the 
throne  brought  to  his  own  capital,  and  proposed  to 
take  his  seat  upon  it  with  great  state,  and  thence  to 
deliver  his  daily  judgments.  The  marble  seat  was 
supported  by  thirty-two  stone  angels.  Each  day  that 
the  king  was  about  to  ascend  the  throne  one  of  these 
addressed  him  and,  requesting  him  not  to  take  his  seat 
on  the  sacred  throne,  related  a  story  of  the  wisdom  of 
Vikramaditya. 

This  is  the  story  related  by  the  eighteenth  statue,  named 
Rup-rekha,  Streak  of  Beauty : 

Once  there  came  before  King  Vikramaditya  two  hermits 
with  a  dispute  concerning  a  matter  of  philosophy,  and 
requested  him  to  resolve  their  doubt.  The  king  asked 
what  it  was,  and  the  first  hermit  said  :  "O  king,  I  maintain 
that  Intellect  is  superior  to  Wisdom  and  Soul,  since  these 
and  the  senses  are  subject  to  the  Intellect,  inasmuch  as  all 
Deeds  are  born  in  the  Mind.  Thus  Mind  rules  over  all." 
But  the  second  hermit  said :  "  It  is  Wisdom  that  rules  the 
Mind.  For  Wisdom  checks  the  froward  thoughts  arising 
in  the  Intellect.  True,  the  senses  are  ruled  by  Mind,  but 
Mind  is  ruled  by  Wisdom.  Through  Wisdom  our  senses 
are  controlled,  and  we  progress  in  yoga." 
The  king  replied :  "  O  ascetics,  of  a  surety  this  mortal 
body,  wrought  of  fire,  air,  earth,  and  water,  is  ruled  by  the 
Intellect.  But  by  following  the  dictates  of  the  Mind 
alone,  this  body  perishes  untimely.  Therefore  I  think 
that  Wisdom  is  greater  than  the  Mind,  for  it  is  Wisdom 
that  preserves  us  from  destruction.     Again,  it  is  said  that 

375 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

one  perfect  in  Wisdom  dieth  nevermore;  and  no  yogi  can 
attain  perfection  lacking  Wisdom." 

Both  ascetics  were  delighted  with  this  judgment,  and  they 
gave  to  the  king  a  piece  of  chalk,  saying :  "Whatever  thou 
dost  draw  therewith  in  the  day  will  come  to  life  at  night." 
Then  they  departed. 

At  once  the  king  shut  himself  in  a  room  alone  and 
spent  the  whole  day  drawing  gods  and  goddesses  upon  the 
wall.  At  night  the  figures  all  came  to  life  and  cried 
"  Hail !  Hail !  "  to  the  king  and  talked  together.  Next  day 
the  king  drew  on  another  part  of  the  wall  armies  of  men, 
horses,  elephants,  and  other  creatures,  and  at  night  he  was 
delighted  to  find  that  they,  too,  came  to  life.  The  next  day, 
again,  he  drew  gandharvas  and  apsaras  with  drums  and 
lutes  and  viols  in  their  hands,  and  at  night  they  came 
to  life  and  played  exquisitely  according  to  the  laws  of 
music. 

Thus  the  king  spent  his  days  in  drawing  and  his  nights  in 
seeing  living  pictures,  and  he  neglected  all  his  queens  and 
the  duties  of  the  state.  One  night  the  queens  came  to 
him  in  their  splendid  palanquins,  weeping  and  lamenting. 
Vikramaditya  asked  them  why  they  wept.  "O  ladies," 
he  said,  "  why  are  your  moon-faces  pale  ?  "  One  answered 
in  a  sweet  voice :  "  O  Maharaja,  you  promised  never  to 
leave  us  alone ;  why,  then,  do  you  desert  us  now  ?  "  But 
the  king  paid  no  attention,  for  he  was  absorbed  in  looking 
at  the  moving  pictures  on  the  wall. 

Next  day,  when  all  the  figures  on  the  wall  were  still  once 
more,  the  queens  spoke  to  the  king  again,  praying  him  not 
to  leave  them  in  distress.  He  smiled  and  asked  :  "  What 
am  I  to  do,  then?"  "O  king,"  they  answered,  "if  thou 
art  agreed  to  grant  a  boon,  then  give  to  us  the  chalk  that 
is  in  thy  right  hand."  So  Vikramaditya  gave  the  chalk, 
376 


The  Ashvins 

and  the  queens  kept  it  hidden  ever  after.  Never  since 
have  pictures  come  to  life. 

The  Askvins 

The  Ashvins  are  divine  twins,  distinguished  for  their 
great  beauty,  and  masters  of  medicine.  They  were  at  first 
refused  a  place  amongst  the  gods  on  account  of  their  lowly 
birth;  but  the  rishi  Chyavana,  who  received  from  them 
perpetual  youth,  secured  from  Indra  that  they  should 
participate  in  the  offerings. 

This  tale  is  told  of  Chyavana's  attainment  of  eternal  youth  : 
The  aged  rishi  Chyavana  had  a  beautiful  wife,  Sukanya — 
that  is  to  say,  Fair-maid.  One  day  the  Ashvins  beheld 
her  at  her  bath,  bare  of  any  garment.  They  came  to 
her  and  asked  :  "  O  fair-limbed  girl,  whose  daughter  art 
thou,  and  what  hast  thou  to  do  here  in  these  woods  ?"  and 
she  answered  shyly  :  "  Know  that  I  am  Saryati's  daughter 
and  the  wife  of  Chyavana."  The  Ashvins  answered: 
"  Why  has  thy  father  given  thee  to  one  so  aged  and  near 
to  death,  for  thou  art  radiant  as  summer  lightning  ?  We 
have  not  seen  thy  like  even  in  Heaven.  Bare  of  adornment 
as  thou  art,  none  the  less  thou  makest  all  the  forest  fair ; 
how  much  fairer  mightst  thou  appear  in  gorgeous  robes 
and  splendid  jewels  !  Do  thou  leave  thy  aged  husband 
and  take  one  of  us,  for  youth  will  not  endure." 
She  replied  :  "  I  am  devoted  to  my  husband  Chyavana." 
Again  they  prayed  her,  saying  :  "  We  are  the  physicians 
of  Heaven.  We  will  make  thy  husband  young  and  fair ; 
then  choose  from  us  three — ourselves  and  him — whom 
thou  wilt  for  lord."  Then  Fair-maid  told  to  Chyavana 
what  had  been  said,  and  he  consented. 
Then  the  Ashvins  commanded  Chyavana,  who  was  eager 
to  regain  his  youth,  to  enter  water,  and  they,  too,  sank  into 

377 


Myth; 


is  of  the  Hindus  <§>f  Buddhists 

the  waters  of  the  pool.  Then  came  forth  all  three  in 
radiant  youthful  forms,  wearing  burnished  ear-rings.  All 
were  of  the  same  appearance,  delightful  to  behold,  and 
they  said  to  Fair-maid :  "  Choose  one  of  us  to  be  thy 
husband.  Choose  whom  thou  dost  most  desire."  But 
Fair-maid  found  that  one  appearance  was  upon  them  all, 
and  she  hesitated  long;  only  when  at  last  she  recognized 
her  husband  did  she  choose,  and  chose  no  other  than 
himself. 

Then  Chyavana,  well  pleased  to  have  both  youth  and 
beauty  and  to  have  his  wife  again,  promised  in  return  to 
win  for  the  Ashvins  the  right  to  share  in  the  offerings  of 
soma-juice  given  to  the  gods.  The  twins,  no  less  glad, 
went  their  way  to  Heaven,  and  Chyavana  and  Fair-maid 
dwelt  together  in  great  joy,  even  as  the  gods  themselves. 

The  Story  of  Dhruva 

Of  myths  that  represent  a  spiritualizing  interpretation  of 
the  stars,  the  very  jewel  is  probably  the  story  of  Dhruva. 
It  is  frankly  a  statement  of  how  the  Pole-star  came  to  be 
so  steady,  and  the  Hindu  name  for  the  Pole-star  is  Dhruva- 
lok,  or  place  of  Dhruva. 

Dhruva  was  a  child  and  a  prince,  the  eldest  son  of  a  king 
and  his  chief  queen.  There  was,  however,  a  younger  wife 
who  had  gained  great  ascendancy  over  the  mind  of 
Dhruva's  father,  and  in  consequence  of  her  jealousy  and 
dislike  the  prince  and  his  mother  Sunltl  were  banished 
from  the  court  and  sent  to  live  in  retirement  in  a  cottage 
on  the  edge  of  a  great  forest.  We  are  here  dealing,  we 
must  remember,  with  a  Hindu  tale  of  the  period  when 
every  story  forms  an  epos  of  the  soul,  and  in  the  epos  of 
the  soul  the  chief  event  is  that  by  which  arises  a  dis- 
taste for  the  material  world.  Young  Luther  sees  his 
378 


XXXI 

DHRUVA 

Asit  Kumar  Haldar 

Pasre  37S 


' 


• 


Shani 

Shani 

In  the  mass  of  literature  called  the  Puranas  hundreds  of 
myths  are  embedded  which  pass  unknown  to  all  but  the 
inquisitive  amongst  the  Hindus  of  to-day.     Yet  each  one 
of  these  must  have  had  importance  at  the  time  of  its  origin, 
and  by  careful  examination  might  be  induced  to  yield  up 
its  historical  secret.     One  such  curious  legend  concerns 
Saturn  (Shani).     At  the  birth  of  Ganesha,  eldest  son  of  the 
Mother  of  the  Universe,  his  cradle  was  visited,  it  is  said, 
by  gods  and  demi-gods.     Only  one  exception  was  there. 
Shani  did  not  come.     At  last  this  fact  was  noticed  by  the 
Great  Mother,  and  she  inquired  the  reason  of  his  absence. 
She  was  told  that  he  feared  to  harm  her  child,  since  it 
was  matter  of  common  knowledge  that  the  head  of  one 
on  whom  Shani  looked  was  likely  to  be  burned  to  ashes  at 
his  glance.     With  easy  pride  the  mother  smiled,  and  assur- 
ing him  that  her  son  could  not  be  subject  to  his  power, 
sent    him  a  message    of    warm  invitation  and  welcome. 
Accordingly  Shani  came.     But  what  was  the  horror  of  all 
present  when  he  looked  at  the  babe,  and  instantly  its  head 
disappeared  in  a  flame.     How  much  greater  was  Shani 
than  anyone  had  suspected ! 

At  this  catastrophe  the  mother  was  profoundly  disturbed, 
and  commanded  her  guest  somewhat  sharply  at  once  to 
restore  the  head  of  her  child.  But  Shani  smiled  pleasantly, 
and  pointed  out  that  the  head  as  such  no  longer  existed. 
It  lay  in  ashes  before  them.  "Then  send  forth  a  servant 
and  let  him  bring  me  the  head  of  the  first  one  he  meets," 
commanded  the  mother  in  effect,  and  Shani  had  no  option 
save  to  obey.  Only  one  who  is  in  fault  can  be  subject  to 
Shani,  and  his  emissary  found  no  one  inadvertently  doing 
wrong,  till  suddenly  he  came  upon  an  elephant  sleeping  with 


33i 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§?  Buddhists 

his  head  to  the  north.  This  trifling  fault  brought  him  under 
the  jurisdiction,  and  hastily  the  servant  cut  off  his  head 
and  returned  to  put  it  on  the  infant's  body.  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  Ganesha  wears  an  elephant-head. 
Two  or  three  points  are  noteworthy  here.  The  intention 
of  the  story  is,  of  course,  to  show  the  power  of  Shani,  and 
consequently  the  necessity  for  his  propitiation.  But,  as 
usual  in  obedience  to  the  Indian  instinct  for  synthesis,  the 
new  claimant  to  more  or  less  divine  honours  is  also  made 
to  explain  some  anomaly  in  the  faith  that  preceded  him. 
And  the  faith  with  which  Shani  is  thus  connected,  the  tree 
on  which  the  new  belief  is  grafted,  is  the  worship  of 
Ganesha,  perhaps  the  oldest  of  organized  and  sacerdo- 
talized  popular  worships  in  India.  This  fact  alone  is 
eloquent  of  the  antiquity  of  the  propitiation  of  Shani.  It 
is  interesting  also  to  see  that  the  very  point  in  the  image 
of  Ganesha  that  is  so  anomalous  and  tantalizing  to  our- 
selves was  held  similarly  inexplicable  at  the  time  of  the 
incoming  Saturn  and  the  other  planets.  Whatever  piece 
of  symbolism  this  white  head  on  the  red  body  originally 
expressed,  whether  it  was  the  setting  sun  beneath  the 
clouds  or  what  not,  was  now  long  ago  forgotten ;  and  the 
children  of  Ganesha,  not  doubting  his  divinity,  were  ready 
to  accept  any  explanation  of  its  origin  that  might  offer 
itself  to  them.  This  explanation  came,  together  with  the 
new-fangled  worship  of  the  planets,  from  some  people  who 
feared  and  propitiated  their  deities.  Long,  long  ago  had 
the  worship  of  the  gentle  Ganesha  gone  out  to  the  nations 
of  the  farther  East,  and  now  the  fear  of  Shani  was  added 
to  it  in  the  land  of  its  birth  from  foreign  sources.  Was 
Chaldea  by  any  possibility  the  centre  from  which  came  this 
worship  of  the  planets? 

382 


Star-Pictures 

Star-Pictures 

For  most  of  us  there  has  been  perhaps  a  golden  hour 
of  childhood  when  we  dreamed  ourselves  back  into  the 
love  and  reverence  of  primitive  man  for  the  starry  sky. 
In  early  ages,  especially  in  the  hot  countries  of  the  South, 
where  day  was  an  agony  and  night  a  delight,  the  coming 
of  sunset  must  have  been  looked  forward  to  by  thoughtful 
minds  as  the  opening  of  a  great  book,  the  only  book  that 
then  existed.  Astronomical  passion  has  undeniably  de- 
creased with  the  growth  of  what  we  know  as  civilization. 
We  of  Europe  could  not  to-day  divide  a  Church  on  some 
difference  of  opinion  about  the  date  of  Easter. 
Primitive  science,  such  as  it  was,  was  inextricably  inter- 
woven with  the  study  of  the  stars,  for  the  simple  reason 
that  man  early  became  ambitious  of  fixing  a  date.  We 
can  hardly  doubt  that  this  was  the  fourth  of  those 
great  steps  by  which  we  emerged  into  humanity.  First  the 
defining  and  accumulation  of  language,  then  the  tentative 
handling  of  stones  as  tools,  again  the  long  subsequent 
discovery  of  fire,  and  last  of  all  this,  the  measurement  of 
the  year.  To-day,  with  our  accomplished  theories  of  the 
cosmos,  the  obvious  instrument  of  time-measurement 
would  seem  to  be  the  sun,  writing  the  steps  of  his  progress 
from  hour  to  hour  and  season  to  season  with  the  pen 
of  changing  shadow-lengths.  And  in  this  empiric  fashion 
something  of  the  sort  may  have  lain  behind  the  early 
sacredness  of  poles,  pillars,  and  obelisks.  As  the  climax 
of  a  great  scientific  theory  on  the  subject,  the  sun,  however, 
is  only  the  successor  in  time-reckoning  of  the  moon, 
for  already  of  a  hoary  antiquity  when  solar  measurement 
was  born  was  the  calculation  of  the  year  by  the  coincidence 
of  the  full  moon  with  some  given  constellation. 

383 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &>  Buddhists 

A  glance  shows  us  how  the  process  grew.  As  nations 
became  organized  and  consolidated  the  popular  science  of 
rude  time-measurement  was  transformed  into  a  great 
priestly  function  and  mystery.  The  year  itself  was  wor- 
shipped as  a  whole,  as  well  as  in  its  component  parts. 
The  awe  with  which  the  women  of  Greece  regarded 
certain  of  their  own  annual  festivals  of  purification  was  a 
relic,  doubtless,  of  an  older  state  of  things,  in  which  they 
had  been  responsible  for  the  anxious  computation  of  the 
circling  year.  The  Hindu  festivals,  scattered  up  and 
down  the  lunar  months,  were  once  so  many  steps  by  which 
to  make  sure  of  the  recurrence  of  specific  days.  Calendar- 
making  retains  even  now  something  of  this  its  ancient 
religious  character.  Thus  early  science  was  bound  up 
with  religion,  and  the  stars  were  watched  before  the  moon 
or  the  sun  was  even  dimly  understood. 

A  Picttire-Book 

It  would  be  a  mistake,  however,  to  think  that  man's  early 
regard  for  the  midnight  sky  was  always  serious.  The  blue 
and  silver  page  was  more  to  him  in  that  far-off  age  than  a 
world  of  thought  and  reverence,  more  even  than  a  sphere 
of  growing  inquiry  and  enlarging  knowledge.  It  was  also 
a  gigantic  picture-book,  an  absorbing  wonder-tale.  How 
many  of  the  semi-divine  beings  of  whom  his  fancy  was  so 
full  could  be  seen,  the  moment  night  arrived,  shining  up  there 
against  the  blue !  How  soon  must  have  been  recognized 
the  hero  coursing  across  the  sky,  followed  by  his  dog !  And 
the  Bengali  name  of  Orion  to  this  day — Kal-Purush,  the 
Time-man — tells  us  something  of  that  early  significance. 
Strange  relations  of  cause  and  effect  were  predicated, 
doubtless,  of  that  lofty  hero-world.  Something  like  theo- 
logical differences  of  opinion  may  have  obtained  as 
384 


A  Picture-Book 

between  different  races  touching  the  various  functions  of 
a  given  constellation  in  the  divine  economy.     Men  had 
long  dreamed  of  an  immense  bird,  whose  wings  were  the 
clouds,  whose  movements  were  felt  as  the  winds,  carrying 
sun  and  the  stars  on  their  ring-like  course.     And  now, 
searching  the  heavens  most  eagerly  at  the  moments  of  dawn 
and  sunset,  or  at  those  turns  of  the  seasons  when  weather 
and  flood  were  telling  what  next  to  expect  of  the  crops,  if 
the  vast  outlines  of  a  bird  could  be  dimly  descried  at 
evening  in  the  imperfect  tracing  made  by  remote  suns, 
what  was  to  hinder  Aquila  or  Garuda,  the  divine  Eagle, 
from   being   held    the  jailer  of  the  disappearing  light? 
One  race  may  well  have  held  the  stars  of  the  Great  Bear 
to   be  the  bed,  and  another  the  reins,  of  the  sun-god. 
How  many  of  the  most  beautiful  stories  of  old  mythology 
might  thus  be  proved  to  be  at  bottom  grave  and  simple 
accounts  of  astronomical  occurrences;  how  many  of  the 
Labours  of  Herakles,  for  instance,  were  in  reality  stories 
of  his  constellation !     Whether  Alcestis   restored  to  the 
house  of  Admetus  is  not,  in  truth,  the  sun  brought  back 
to  its  place  amongst  the  stars,  or  whether  Perseus  was  not 
always  a  hero  seen  in  outline   between  Andromeda  and 
Cassiopeia — these  questions,  and  others  like  them,   will 
never,  probably,  be  fully  answered.     A  little  we  may  be 
able  to  spell  out  from  the  very  fringe  of  the  great  sub- 
ject, but  the  whole  story  of  the  psychological  origin  of 
mythology    we   cannot   possibly    decipher.      One    thing, 
however,  is  fairly  certain.     The  divine  world  of  the  stars, 
the  great  stage  of  the  shining  souls,  was,  to  begin  with,  a 
confused  world.     Man  had  his  luminous  points  of  under- 
standing, for  he  dedicated  given  stars  to  chosen  characters 
by  arbitrary  acts  of  piety  and  wonder ;  but  he  could  not 
map  out  the  whole. 

2B  385 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 
Agastya 

We  can  see  easily  enough  that  different  communities  may 
have  adopted  different  starting-points  in  their  study  of  the 
midnight  sky  or  their  measurement  of  time.  One  tribe 
perhaps  would  watch  the  movements  of  the  star  Agastya, 
as  Canopus  in  Argo  is  said  to  have  been  called.  The 
distinctively  Indian  idea  that  the  heroes  of  the  sky  were 
meditating  souls,  plunged  in  thought  and  radiant  with  a 
light  of  which  they  were  unconscious,  must  have  been 
elaborated  only  gradually ;  but  with  its  final  acceptance  the 
star  Agastya  would  come  to  be  known  as  Agastya-Muni, 
or  Agastya  the  Sage,  while  the  tribes  that  measured  their 
year  by  Canopus — as  the  Cholas,  Cheras,  and  Pandyas  in 
Southern  India  may  have  done — would  grow  to  look  upon 
him  as  a  deified  or  canonized  ancestor.  There  is  a  valley 
in  the  Himalayas  containing  an  ancient  village  which  is 
known  as  Agastya-Muni.  Is  this  some  prehistoric  tribal 
home,  or  is  the  secret  of  its  dedication  one  we  cannot  hope 
to  penetrate? 

The  folk-lore  of  Hinduism  is  familiar  enough  with  the 
name  of  this  Agastya  Canopus.  According  to  one  story 
he  swallowed  the  ocean.  According  to  another  he  set 
forth  on  the  first  of  the  month  for  the  South,  and  on  his 
way  from  the  Himalayas  to  the  ocean  he  passed  the 
Vindhyas.  Now  for  a  long  time  there  had  been  a  quarrel 
between  the  two  ranges  of  mountains,  the  Himalayas  and 
Vindhyas,  as  to  which  should  lift  its  head  the  higher. 
The  Vindhyas,  by  their  ambition,  had  threatened  to  shut 
out  the  light  from  mortals.  As  the  great  Agastya  passed 
by,  however,  the  Vindhyas  could  not  refuse  to  bow  them- 
selves in  reverence,  whereupon  the  cunning  old  sage  said : 
"  It  is  well,  my  children !  Remain  thus  till  I  return ! " 
386 


The  Great  Bear 

Alas !  on  reaching  the  shores  of  the  South  he  plunged  into 
the  ocean  and  never  returned,  for  which  reason  the 
Vindhyas  remain  to  this  day  with  lowered  heads.  In 
reference  to  this  story  he  who  sets  forth  on  the  first  of  the 
month  is  always  said  to  perform  Agastya-Jatra,  the 
Journey  of  Agastya,  and  it  is  more  than  hinted  that  he 
may  not  return.  Meanwhile  the  picture  of  the  coming 
forth  from  the  North  to  South,  the  final  plunge  into  the 
ocean,  never  to  return  by  the  way  he  came — though  he  will 
again  be  seen  on  starry  nights  passing  over  the  head  of 
the  Vindhyas  from  the  North — sounds  remarkably  like  a 
popular  rendering  of  the  astronomical  observation  of  a 
bright  star  passing  below  the  horizon. 

The  Great  Bear 

But  Agastya  Canopus  was  not  the  only  stellar  progenitor 
of  men.  Early  fancy  played  about  the  seven  stars  of  the 
Great  Bear.  Weird  tales  are  told  of  the  deadly  arrow — 
the  arrow  that  slew  the  sun — shot  at  the  year's  end  by  the 
Wild  Huntsman.  And  men  loved,  as  they  have  always 
loved,  the  tender  light  of  the  Pleiades,  the  Spinning 
Women,  or  the  Dancing  Maidens,  amongst  whom  shone 
RohinI,  the  Oueen  of  Heaven.  ArundhatI,  the  Northern 
Crown,  was  another  of  the  stars  that  bore  a  favoured  race 
to  fortune.  Sirius,  the  Dog-star,  did  the  same.  And 
personification  might  in  any  of  those  cases,  we  must 
remember,  by  an  easy  series  of  transitions  become  ancestor- 
worship. 

The  Pole-star 

The  earliest  of  male  anthropomorphic  gods  is  said  to  have 
been  the  Pole-star,  and  there  is  a  touch  of  humour  in  the 
way  he  is  portrayed  up  and  down  the  pages  of  ancient 

387 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

mythology.     The  Pole-star,   it    seems,  from  his  solitary 
position  at  the  apex  of  the  stellar  system,  gave  rise  to  the 
notion  of  a  god  who  was  one-footed.     How  ancient  is  this 
conception  will  be  guessed  when  we  learn  that  the  wild 
tribes  of  Australia  have  a  star-god   Turunbulun,  who  is 
lord  and  protector  of  the  Pleiades,  and  one-eyed  and  one- 
footed.     After  this  Odin,  or  the  Cyclopes  with  their  one 
eye,  or  Hephaistos,  the  Smith  of  Heaven,  with  his  lame 
foot,  need  occasion  us  no  surprise.   This  lame-footed  god, 
again,  forms  an  obvious  stepping-stone  to  the  one  goat- 
foot  of  the  great  god  Pan,  that  deep  and  tender  Asiatic 
conception  which  found  its  way  into  Hellenic  ideas  from 
the  older  Phrygia.     It  is  difficult  to  believe,  and  yet  it  is 
said,  that  the  Pole-star  deity  was  at  one  time  identified 
with  the  goat.     Thus  the  Rig- Veda  contains  numerous 
references  to  Aja-Ekapada — a  name  that  may  be  trans- 
lated as  either  the  One-footed  Goat  or  the  Birthless  One- 
footed  One.     It  is  generally  assumed  that  the  second  of 
these  renderings  is  correct,  and  that  it  points  to  the  sun. 
And  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  great  god  Pan  and  his  one 
goat-foot,   comparative    mythology    might    have  had    to 
agree.     Indeed,  it  is  not  easy  to  ignore   this  rendering 
entirely  when  we  read  in  the  Veda  that  "  he  who  has  one 
foot  has  outstripped  them  that  have  two."     This  would 
sound  to  a  modern  more  like  the  sun  than  the  Pole-star. 
But  the  ancient  singer  possibly  meant  that  he  who  had  but 
one  foot  had  reached  to  the  lordship  and  height  of  the 
universe.     In  this  sense,    of   apex  of   the    cosmos,  Aja- 
Ekapada  is  constantly  opposed  to  Ocean  and  the  Dragon 
of  the  Deep,  who  is  supposed  to  be  the  Rain-Cloud,  the 
womb  of  all  life,  and  to  personify  the  vast  and  immeasur- 
able abyss  of  the  southern  sky.     Thus  we  have  a  pair  of 
gods — gods  of  the  North  and  South. 
-.88 


CHAPTER  VIII:   CONCLUSION 

Summary  of  Indian  Theology 

THE   following   scheme   sets    out   very  briefly  the 
fundamental  conceptions  of  Indian  theology  and 
cosmology,  as  assumed  in  most  of  the  foregoing 
myths  and  legends : 

The  Gods 

The  One  Absolute  Reality  is   Brahman  (neuter),  which, 
by  the  assumption  of  attributes,  becomes  Is  vara,  god  or 
overlord.     Ishvara  has  three  aspects,  viz.  Brahma,  Shiva, 
and  Vishnu,  with  their  Shaktis  or  energies,   SarasvatT, 
Devi,  and  Lakshml.      The  sectarian  worshippers  identify 
one  of  these  with  the  highest  Ishvara,  and  regard  the  two 
other  aspects  as  merely  devas.     Hence  there  appears  a 
certain  confusion  of  status  in  the  legends,  according  to  the 
particular   sectarian  standpoint  from  which  they  are  re- 
lated.    The   most  important  sects  are  the  S/iaivas,  who 
worship  Shiva,    the    Vaishnavas,    who    worship   Vishnu 
(chiefly  in   his  avatars,  as   Rama  or  Krishna),   and    the 
Shaktas,  who  worship  Devi  as  the  Supreme.     Almost  all 
Indian   worship   is    monotheistic ;    there   is    not   for   the 
individual  worshipper  any  confusion  of  God  with  gods. 
Avatars  are  special  incarnations  assumed  by  portions  of 
the  Supreme  for  helping  on  the  processes  of  evolution  and 
release.     Ten  such  avatars  of  the  supreme  Vishnu    are 
usually  recognized,  of  whom  Rama,  Krishna,  and  Buddha 
are  the  last,  and  Kalki  is  yet  to  come.     "Whensoever," 
says  Shrl  Krishna,  "the  Law  fails  and  lawlessness  uprises, 
O  thou  of  Bharata's  race,  then  do  I  bring  myself  to  bodied 
birth.     To  guard  the   righteous,   to  destroy  evildoers,  to 
establish  the  Law,  I  come  into  birth  age  after  age." 

3S9 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &f  Buddhists 

Different  Names 

A  source  of  confusion  to  the  student  of  Indian  mythology 
at  first  appears  in  the  many  names  by  which  one  and  the 
same  Supreme  Divinity  may  be  known. 
The  most  important  of  the  name  identities  are,  for  Shiva, 
Mahadeva,  Hara,  Nataraja,  and  for  Vishnu,  Hari,  Narayan. 
A  familiarity  with  these  names  is  gradually  acquired,  and 
it  is  realized  that  the  different  names  refer  to  as  many  aspects 
of  One  Being.  For  the  gods  possess  a  manifold  conscious- 
ness, and  by  division  of  their  attributes  appear  and  act  in 
many  places  and  many  forms  at  one  and  the  same  time.  It 
will  have  been  observed  that  every  god,  whether  Ishvara  or 
deva,  has  a  feminine  counterpart  or  aspect.  These  wives 
are  the  Shaktis  or  powers  without  whom  there  could  be 
no  creation  or  evolution.  For  example,  the  Shakti  of 
Shiva  is  Devi,  whose  other  names  are  SatI,  Uma,  Durga, 
Chandi,  ParvatI,  Kali,  &c. ;  it  is  she  who  is  worshipped 
by  many  millions  as  the  Mother,  and  all  these  worshippers 
speak  of  God  as  She.  The  great  sex-distinction  pervades 
the  whole  universe,  and  the  psychology  of  sex  is  every- 
where the  same :  all  things  that  are  male  are  from  Shiva, 
all  that  are  female  are  from  Uma. 

Cosmic  Powers 

Distinct  from  Ishvara  are  the  devas,  Indra,  Agni,  Varuna, 
Yama,  old  personified  cosmic  powers  who  alone  were 
worshipped  in  the  old  Vedic  days,  before  the  emergence 
of  Shiva  and  Vishnu.  These  devas  dwell  in  swarga,  an 
Olympian  paradise ;  they  bestow  on  their  worshippers 
divers  boons,  but  they  are  never  saviours  of  souls. 
Their  moral  status  is  like  that  of  men,  and  swarga  is  a 
place  where   all  wishes  and  desires  are  gratified,  where 

390 


• 


•     .'■■■ 


' 


XXXII 
KALI 

SURENDRA    NATH    KaR 
Page  390 


'^rssssssgsssasssss 


■ 


The  Universe 

rishis,  asuras,  men,  creatures,  and  matter — are  resolved  into 
chaos  (malid-pralaya,  "  great-chaos  "),  enduring  for  another 
hundred  Brahma-years,  when  there  appear  a  new  Brahma 
and  a  new  creation.  It  will  be  seen  that  both  major  and 
minor  alternations  of  evolution  and  involution  arc  repre- 
sented as  necessitated  by  natural  law — the  latent  force  of 
past  action  {karma).  Causality  governs  all  conditioned 
existence.  The  whole  scheme  is  highly  scientific. 
The  Day  of  Brahma  is  divided  into  fourteen  manvantaras, 
over  each  of  which  presides  a  Mann,  or  teacher.  Each 
manvantara  is  followed  by  a  Deluge,  which  destroys  the 
existing  continents  and  swallows  up  all  living  beings, 
except  the  few  who  are  preserved  for  the  repeopling  of 
the  earth.  The  name  of  our  Maim  is  Vaivasvata,  who  is 
the  source  of  the  Laws  of  Manu,  formulating  the  basic 
structure  of  Hindu  society.  The  Day  of  Brahma  is  also 
divided  into  iooo^'/^vz-cycles  {maha-yuga),  each  consist- 
ing of  four  ages,  the  Satya,  Treta,  Dvapara,  and  Kali 
yugas,  of  which  the  last  three  are  periods  of  progressive 
degeneration  from  the  first.  The  lour  yugas  together  last 
4,320,000  years;  the  first  1,728,000,  the  second  1,296,000, 
the  third  864,000,  and  the  last  432,000.  The  present 
year  (a.d.  1913)  is  the  5013th  of  the  Kali  yuga1of  the 
present  maha-yuga ;  this  maha-yuga  is  the  twenty-eighth 
of  the  seventh  manvantara  of  our  kalpa,  called  the  Varaha 
kalpa,  because  in  it  Vishnu  incarnated  as  a  boar  {varahd) ; 
and  this  kalpa  is  the  first  day  of  the  fifty-first  year  of  the 
life  of  our  Brahma. 

The  events  related  in  the  Mahabharata  took  place  in  the 
Treta  yuga  of  our  maha-yuga ;  those  of  the  Ramayana  in 
the  Dvapara  yuga.     The  oldest  stories  of  the  battles  of 

1  The  commencement  of  which  Kali  yuga  was  coincident  with  the 
Day  of  the  death  of  Krishna. 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &?  Buddhists 

the  gods  and  asuras  and  the  legends  of  the  rishis  go  much 
further  back:  the  Churning  of  the  Ocean,  for  example, 
took  place  in  the  sixth  manvantara\  the  rescue  of  the 
elephant  from  the  crocodile  in  the  fourth ;  the  Boar  in- 
carnation in  the  first ;  and  the  emergence  of  Brahma,  called 
the  lotus-born  because  of  his  origin  from  a  lotus  sprung  from 
the  navel  of  Narayana,  at  the  very  beginning  of  the  kalpa. 
The  Three  Worlds  {tiiloki),  to  which  constant  reference 
has  been  made,  are  the  physical  plane  (Bhur),  the  astral 
plane  (Bhuvar),  and  Heaven  (Swarga) ;  these  three  only, 
with  the  underworlds,  are  concerned  in  the  daily  creation 
and  dissolution.  These  also  constitute  the  Samsara  or 
Wandering,  the  condition  of  birth  and  rebirth,  where 
desire  {kama)  and  personality  (ahamkard)  are  the  guiding 
principles  of  life.  Above  the  Three  Worlds  are  four 
other  planes  which  endure  throughout  the  life-period  of  a 
Brahma ;  these  are  reached  by  such  as  pass  beyond  the 
Three  Worlds  without  attaining  direct  release;  they  go 
onwards  to  Ishvara,  and  attain  release  with  him  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  period  of  a  hundred  Brahma-years. 
Below  the  Three  Worlds  are  the  seven  Patalas  or  under- 
worlds (distinct  from  the  realm  of  Yama) ;  these  are 
inhabited  by  the  nagas,  the  semi-human  serpents,  who 
possess  a  rich  material  civilization  of  their  own.  These 
underworlds  are  supported  on  the  heads  of  the  naga 
Ananta  (Infinity),  who  also  supports  Narayana  during  his 
repose  in  the  Night  of  Brahma. 

The  earth  is  supported  by  eight  elephants,  one  in  each  of 
the  eight  quarters.  There  are  also  guardian  gods  of  the 
quarters,  those  for  East,  South,  West,  and  North  being 
Indra,  Yama,  Varuna,  and  Kuvera ;  according  to  the 
Buddhists,  however,  it  is  the  regents  of  these  gods  who 
are  the  guardians  of  the  quarters,  and  it  is  these  regents 

394 


Mythical  Geography 

who  are  represented  in  the  oldest  Indian  god-figures, 
those  of  the  Bharhut  Stupa  (second  century  B.C.).  Even 
earlier  the  Brahmans  also  had  representations  of  the 
devas,  but  made  in  impermanent  materials;  while  the 
representation  of  Ishvaras  and  Supreme  Buddhas  is  a  later 
development,  attaining  its  highest  types  in  the  seventh  or 
eighth  century  a.d. 

The  prime  cause  of  creation  is  inexplicable,  for  in  a 
universe  conditioned  by  causality  causes  must  precede 
causes  backwards  for  ever.  But  the  process  of  mani- 
festation or  creation  is  more  properly  regarded  as  outside 
time,  and  equally  past,  present,  or  future.  No  motive  can 
be  assigned  for  this  Will,  a  fact  which  is  mythically 
represented  by  calling  the  world-process  Li/a,  the  Lord's 
amusement;  or,  again,  by  saying  that  Being  desires  to 
behold  the  reflection  of  its  own  perfection  mirrored  in 
Non-Being. 

Mythical  Geography 

The  mythical  geography  of  our  system  must  also  be 
described.  There  are  seven  island-continents  surrounded 
by  seven  .seas.  Jambu-dwlpa  (the  world)  is  the  innermost 
of  these ;  in  the  centre  of  this  continent  rises  the  golden 
mountain  Meru,  rising  84,000  leagues  above  the  earth. 
Around  the  foot  of  Meru  are  the  boundary  mountains  of 
the  earth,  of  which  Himalaya  lies  to  the  south  ;  the  land 
of  Bharat-varsha  (India)  lies  between  Himalaya  and  the 
salt  sea.  Meru  is  buttressed  by  four  other  mountains, 
each  10,000  leagues  in  height;  of  these,  one  is  Mandara, 
used  as  a  pivot  for  the  churning  of  the  ocean.  The 
name  of  the  continent  Jambu-dwlpa  derives  from  a 
Jambu  tree  that  grows  on  one  of  these  four  mountains. 
Its  fruits  are  as  large  as  elephants;  when  they  are  ripe 

395 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  <§f  Buddhists 

they  fall  upon  the  mountain,  and  their  juice  forms  the 
Jambu  river,  whose  waters  give  health  and  life  to  those 
that  drink  of  them.  There  are  also  lakes  and  forests 
and  mountain  spurs. 

On  the  summit  of  Meru  is  the  city  of  Brahma,  extending 
14,000  leagues,  renowned  in  Heaven  ;  around  it  are  the 
cities  of  Indra  and  other  regents  of  the  spheres.  1  About 
the  city  of  Brahma  flows  the  Ganges,  encircling  the  city; 
according  to  one  account,  the  river  divides  in  four,  flowing 
in  opposite  directions;  according  to  another,  Ganges,  after 
escaping  from  Heaven  and  from  Shiva's  tresses,  divides 
into  the  seven  sacred  rivers  of  India.     In  the  foot-hills 
dwell  the  gandharvas,  kinnaras,  and  siddhas ;  the  daityas, 
asuras,  and  rakshasas  in  the  valleys.    All  these  mountains 
are  included  in  Swarga  (Paradise),  where  the  fruit  of  good 
actions  is  enjoyed.      Bharat-varsha  (India,  or  perhaps  the 
whole  human  world)  is  one  of  nine  lands  situate  in  areas 
bounded  by  the  various  mountains  spoken  of.     Of  these 
nine,  it  is  in  Bharat-varsha  only  that  there  are  sorrow, 
weariness,  and  hunger ;  the  inhabitants  of  other  varshas 
are  exempt  from  all  distress  and  pain,  and  there  is  in  them 
no  distinction  oiyugas.    Bharata  is  the  land  of  works,  where 
men  perform  actions,  winning  either  a  place   in  Heaven, 
or  release  ;  or,  it  may  be,  rebirth  in  Hell,  according  to 
their  merit.     Bharata  is,  therefore,  the  best  of  varshas ; 
other  varshas  are  for  enjoyment  alone.      Happy  are  those 
who  are  reborn,  even  were  they  gods,  as  men  in  Bharat- 
varsha,  for  that  is  the  way  to  the  Supreme. 

History  of  the  Theology 

With  regard  to  the  history  of  some  of  the   ideas   here 

spoken  of : 

From  the  hymns  of  the  Rig- Veda,  which  go  back  to  a 

396 


Philosophy- 
time  when  the  Aryans  were  not  yet  settled  in  the  Ganges 
valley,  but  lived  amongst  the  tributaries  of  the  Indus,  we 
learn  of  a  time  when  there  was  no  caste,  no  privileged 
worship,  no  Brahmanical  system  of  government,  but  there 
were  many  pastoral  tribes  governed  by  hereditary  kinglets. 
The  old  Vedic  religion  consisted  in  the  worship  of  the 
personified  powers  of  Nature,  gods  of  the  sky,  the  air, 
and  the  earth.  Gradually  the  belief  in  these  distinct 
deities  yields  to  a  conviction  that  they  are  manifestations 
of  One,  who  has  many  names,  such  as  Prajapati,  Vish- 
vakarma,  &c,  but  is  finally  called  Brahman,  a  word 
which  in  the  earlier  hymns  means  nothing  but  the  power 
of  prayer,  in  a  way  analogous  to  the  Christian  conception 
of  the  Loo-os.  To  this  was  added  the  idea  that  this 
Brahman  was  nothing  but  the  all-pervading  Self  (tifinan), 
to  know  whom  is  to  know  all.  Thus  we  get  side  by  side 
two  phases  of  religion — the  old  sacrificial  cult,  whereby 
men  seek  to  win  a  place  in  Paradise  by  means  of  moral 
behaviour  and  offerings  to  the  gods ;  and  the  search  for 
the  highest  knowledge,  the  knowledge  of  the  Brahman. 
This  position  was  reached  before  the  time  of  Buddha; 
the  fully  developed  Brahmanical  system  above  described 
attained  shape  in  the  succeeding  centuries. 

Philosophy 

The  prevailing  philosophy  (there  are,  of  course,  other 
systems  also,  though  all  are  closely  interconnected),  the 
doctrine  of  esoteric  reality  to  which  the  above  exoteric 
scheme  is  related,  is  a  form  of  uncompromising  monism 
called  the  Vedanta ;  it  maintains  that  there  is  but  One 
Reality,  the  Brahman,  of  which  naught  whatever  can  be 
predicated.  This  is  the  Unshown,  the  Unknown  God; 
whatever  qualities  or  attributes  one  might  wish  to  use  to 

397 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &*  Buddhists 

express  its  nature,  in  a  famous  Vedantic  phrase :  "  It  is 
not  that,  it  is  not  that"  {neti,  neti).  To  know  this  reality 
is  to  know  all,  just  as  to  know  clay  is  to  know  all  that  is 
made  of  clay — the  apparent  differences  consist  only  in 
name  and  form  {tidmarupa).  This  reality  is  within  our- 
selves, and  we  in  it.  It  is,  in  fact,  our  only  true  Self 
{dtman),  obscured  in  us  by  personality  {ahamkdra)  and 
attributes  {iipddJiis).  The  knowledge  of  this  Reality  is 
Release  {inoksha,  nirvana),  just  as  when  an  earthen  pot 
is  broken  it  is  realized  that  the  space  within  is  one  with 
the  space  without.  To  attain  this  release  is  the  highest 
end  of  life. 

The  life  of  each  individual  soul  (jivdtman)  follows  a  double 
path — the  primal  Will  to  Experience  {pravritti  mdrgaya), 
and  the  later  Will  to  Denial  {iiivritti  mdrgaya),  or, 
briefly,  the  paths  of  Pursuit  and  Return,  familiar  to  the 
mystics  of  all  ages  and  countries.  The  process  of  Em- 
bodiment and  Release  is  always  in  progress ;  but  inasmuch 
as  the  Released  return  no  more,  it  is  clear  that  the 
Pursuers  must  always  be  in  the  majority.  Yet  it  is  an  evil 
thing  for  any  community  if  it  be  composed  wholly  of  those 
who  pursue,  without  a  due  leaven  of  those  who  return. 

Human  Society 

On  this  basis  the  ancient  rishis  laid  down  as  the  four  aims 

of   human  life,    Dharma,    Art  ha,    Kama,  Moksha,  i.e. 

Morality,  Wealth-winning,    Fulfilment   of   Desires,    and 

Release.     That  individual  souls  are  in  different  stages  of 

development,  besides    possessing    special    capacities    or 

tendencies  as  well   as  special  deserts    according  to  the 

nature  of  past  action,  is  reflected  in  the  theory  of  caste 

{yarna,  lit.  colour),    each  with    its  appropriate  morality 

(sva-d/iaima). 

398 


Marriage 

"Caste,"  as  Sister  Nivedita  has  said,  "is  race  continuity; 
it  is  the  historic  sense ;  it  is  the  dignity  of  tradition  and 
of  purpose  for  the  future.  It  is  even  more :  it  is  the 
familiarity  of  a  whole  people  in  all  its  grades  with  the  one 
supreme  human  motive — the  notion  of  noblesse  oblige." 

Marriage 

Moksha,  or  Release,  is  ultimately  attainable  by  the 
individual  alone,  and  depends  on  his  or  her  relation  to  God. 
But  the  secular  ends  of  life,  morality,  wealth,  desire,  and, 
above  all,  the  birth  of  children,  require  the  co-operation  of 
men  and  women.  Hence  in  the  Hindu  social  system  great 
stress  is  laid  on  marriage;  so  far  from  celibacy  being 
recommended  to  the  citizen  on  religious  grounds,  it  is 
expressly  declared  that  neither  can  the  citizen  attain  to 
Heaven  after  death,  nor  can  his  ancestors  remain  there, 
unless  he  has  begotten  a  son.  The  Hindu  marriage  is 
indissoluble,  except  in  the  fourth  caste.  Polygamy  is 
permitted,  but  is  comparatively  rare,  as  the  number  of 
men  and  women  is  about  equal;  the  most  usual  reason 
for  a  second  marriage  is  the  childlessness  of  the  first.  As 
in  so  many  other  systems,  the  basis  of  marriage  is  duty 
rather  than  romantic  love.  The  high  spiritual  status  of 
the  Hindu  woman  is  reflected  in  the  mythology;  indeed, 
as  we  have  seen,  there  are  many  millions  of  Hindus  who 
think  habitually  of  God  as  She. 

It  is  She  (says  Shankaracharya)   with  whom  Shiva 

seeks  shelter  .  .  . 
Whose  words  are  sweet, 
The  Deslructress  of  ills, 
Ever  and  in  all  places  pcivading, 
Tender  C7'eeper  of  Intelligence  and  Bliss. 

399 


Myths  of  the  Hindus  &  Buddhists 

"  The  mother,"  says  Manu,  "exceedeth  a  thousand  fathers 
in  the  right  to  reverence,  and  in  the  function  of  teacher." . 
And  again  in  the  Kubjika  Tantra:  "Whosoever  has  seen 
the  feet  of  woman,  let  him  worship  them  as  those  of  his 
teacher." 

Renunciation 

The  life  of  a  citizen  is  appointed  for  all  but  the  few  who 
feel  already  in  their  youth  the  irresistible  call  to  renuncia- 
tion (vairagya,  turning  away),  and  so  become  monks  or 
nuns.  For  such  as  these  asceticism  is  a  vocation.  The 
citizen,  on  the  other  hand,  as  we  have  seen,  is  commanded 
to  marry  and  to  bring  up  children.  But  life  as  a  citizen  is 
not  the  whole  life,  even  of  an  ordinary  man ;  there  comes 
a  time  when  he,  too,  turns  away  from  the  world.  His 
life  is  planned  in  four  stages  (asJwamas),  as  follows: 
studentship,  life  as  a  householder  and  wealth-winner, 
retirement,  and  finally  complete  renunciation  of  all  ties. 
It  is  the  strength  of  character,  the  merit  accumulated  in 
many  lives  so  ordered,  that  gradually  ripens  the  individual 
soul,  until  at  last  it  feels  the  irresistible  call  and  bends 
its  whole  force  toward  Release  {nirvana). 


Libraries 


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